Presidential hopeful,also Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu became emotional and shed tears after he was blocked from seeing his trusted comrade – Zaake Francis Butebi whom he had gone to visit at a military hospital in Naguru, a Kampala surbarb on Thursday 23.
“Today has been a very emotional day for me. It has brought back the memories of the Arua ordeal and the many other times I have found myself alone, surrounded by people who are on no other mission but to hurt me and ensure the world does not get to know.”he posted on his face book page following his fruitless visit.
Bobi Wine narrated how the bitter day’s experience had given more meaning to the struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights. Adding that it had been yet another reminder that “we must fight and win our freedom or die trying.”
He gave the unpleasant details of Zaake’s situation from the Iran Uganda Military facility in Naguru, where he said the Mityana legislator was fighting for his life after being tortured inhumanly by the military who had reportedly accused him of opposing Museveni’s government. He also said that majority of the people who had attempted to visit Zaake, including family and himself had been denied access, apart from a few people who were let in but were refused to go with phones in order to prevent the public from seeing the photos of him in his seemingly bad health shape.
“The man who was very energetic on Sunday is now being treated at the Iran-Uganda hospital in Naguru. These past days, people have been denied access to him, including his personal doctors, lawyers and family members. Today, they allowed a few people to see him although they were all prohibited from going in with phones so that they don’t take his pictures!”
“As soon as I arrived at the hospital with Nubian Li, they deployed dozens more police officers who came with anti-riot equipment! You can imagine the fear! They denied me access to him and asked me to return tomorrow or another day. When I was detained at Makindye after such a horrendous torture ordeal, they bought time so that people would see me when I was in a better shape!”Bobi Wine continued.
According to him, Zaake had narrated such a tale to those who have been lucky to access him that he had been tortured beyond telling since his arrest with nothing mentioned of food distribution, a case he is reported to have been arrested for.
“It was all about intimidating him and demanding that he stops opposing Museveni!” He said before accusing the government of using the Coronavirus situation to annihilate and weaken all those opposed to the establishment, and called comrades in the struggle to remain alert and demand for what legally belongs to them.
MP Zaake was arrested at the beginning of this week for distributing relief food items to his constituents in Mityana Municipality contrary to the President’s directives aimed at containing the spread of Coronavirus. President Museveni had earlier on warned that politicians found flouting the directive on food distribution risk being charged of attempted murder and staying in incarceration with no bail, a fate the people power strongman is likely to face.
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