Ugandan politician held for treason

KAMPALA: An opposition Ugandan politician was charged with treason yesterday over his alleged role in the stoning of President Yoweri Museveni’s convoy this month.

A civilian magistrate ordered Robert Kyagulanyi be remanded in custody until August 30 and granted him access to private doctors, citing the “health of the accused”, according to footage broadcast on private broadcaster NBS Television.

Kyagulanyi, who only entered parliament last year, has been left unable to stand after being beaten while in detention, his lawyer said, citing relatives who visited him. The Ugandan government says the assault accusation is “rubbish”.

Earlier yesterday, a separate military court dropped charges of unlawful weapons possession against Kyagulanyi, a popular musician whose songs’ biting criticism of Museveni’s government has won him a large youth following.

His detention, along with four other politicians critical of Museveni, sparked two days of anti-government demonstrations in the capital, Kampala, and other parts of the country this week.

Three other politicians and dozens of other people have also been charged with treason over their alleged role in the convoy stoning.

Separately, police arrested two opposition politicians yesterday for defying orders not to leave their homes after police placed them under “preventative arrest” to try to head off further unrest.

Ugandan police spokesperson Emilian Kayima said police had received “intelligence reports that these leaders were inciting people to riot yet they have other lawful avenues, like petitioning a higher court, to seek redress about their fate of their colleague”. He was referring to Kyagulanyi.

“We don’t want to experience what we went through on Monday,” he said, referring to a demonstration in Kampala at which Ugandan police fired tear gas and military units were deployed to disperse protesters.

Representatives of several prominent opposition politicians had said on social media they had been prevented from leaving home and that they had planned to attend Kyagulanyi’s court appearance.

Protesters and opposition supporters accuse Museveni, in power since 1986, of stifling dissent through intimidation, beatings and detentions, charges which his government denies.