Youth arrested on eve of presidential results still in cells without trial

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | The four young men who were arrested on the eve of declaring results of presidential elections are still in police cells without trial, one week later. In Uganda, persons arrested must be produced in a court of law within 48 hours or be released.

Emmanuel Sewava, who operates a music library in Bwaise, Kawempe Division in Kampala was arrested alongside three others on allegations of stocking fuel which they were allegedly going to use to burn the City in case the Electoral Commission announced Yoweri Museveni the winner.

A police source at Kawempe police station said Uganda People’s Defence Forces –UPDF soldiers and policemen in overt and covert operations arrested the quartet at 1:15am and dumped them in the cells.

“They brought them here in the night and they had been beaten, we were given an order to keep them until they clear us to take them to court,” source said.

Other youth who were arrested with Sewava are Yunus Ssentamu, Hamidu Ssentamu and Geoffrey Kiggundu. Another detective said Criminal Investigations Directorate –CID had taken over the case.

Assistant Superintendent of Police –ASP Charles Twine, the CID spokesperson, confirmed that the quartet was still in cells because investigations are still being conducted. Twine was optimistic that if everything goes on well the four will be arraigned in court on Monday next week.

“Information was provided by intelligence that they were planning to burn the city,” Twine said. “They were arrested from Bwaise. They had petrol in plastic containers. We retrieved the containers from a library operated by Yunus Ssentamu.”

URN was informed by police source that even the three youths arrested by UPDF in Luzira on the day the Electoral Commission declared Museveni the winner of January 14 presidential elections are still in custody. It is reported that at least 23 youth who are mostly believed to members or supporters of National Unity Platform –NUP headed by Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine are still being detained in various police cells. 

The Electoral Commission Chairman, Justice Simon Byabakama, declared Museveni the winner with 58.64 percent while his closet rival Kyagulanyi had 34.83 percent. Nevertheless, Kyagulanyi has since disputed the elections results.

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URN