Mityana Municipality MP, Hon. Francis Zaake is being hunted by police after escaping from custody, President Yoweri Museveni has revealed.
In a statement released this afternoon amid social media backlash over the alleged torture of Hon. Zaake and his Kyadondo East Counterpart Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the president borrowed words from American leader Donald Trump, blaming the media for carrying “Fake News.”
The president further made it known that Hon. Zaake who has been fighting for life at Rubaga hospital after grave torture allegedly by officers of the UPDF during Arua municipality campaigns is a wanted man.
“Hon Zaake escaped from police custody. The police are looking for him” Museveni wrote.
The Mitayana MP was dumped at Rubaga hospital by unknown people on Friday after sustaining injuries in the Monday evening fracas that left one person dead and scores injured. While it is said that several other people died, no official report has been issued about this.
It is however confusing, how police is looking for a man that is laying ill at a hospital they very well have access to.
In a related development,
The president has castigated News outlets for spreading fake News that Bobi Wine is very sick after being tortured by the UPDF in Arua. Mr. Museveni narrates that while the Honorable could have been handled roughly during his arrest, the MP received treatment in Arua and Gulu. “He has no head or chest injuries or bone fractures, they informed me” the president added.
“Some days have gone by while what President Trump calls "fake news" generators, especially the Monitor and their TV, the NTV, have been putting it out that our grandson, the undisciplined Bobi Wine, is gravely ill, he cannot talk etc.
According to the president, media is put it out that because of their "rough" handling of the MPs while arresting them, the Security forces could have done grievous damage to Bobi Wine, which is not the case.
Mr. Museveni says he has checked with his officers and they told him nothing was wrong with Bobi Wine.
“I decided to check with Army doctors because, being a disciplined Army, UPDF doctors always take precautions in such situations. Bobi Wine had already been seen by doctors in Arua, Gulu and Kampala. The fake news generators and even some of the elements of the Security forces are concentrating on the stoning of the President's car. Please, that is not the most serious problem here. That President has the capacity, either alone or in company with his personal security, to defend himself, not only against stone throwers but against any attacker” he added.
Mr. Museveni explained that the biggest problem is political leaders like Kassiano Wadri and Bobi Wine forming, or allowing undisciplined groups to be formed under the cover of elections, groups that form illegal processions in built-up and heavily populated areas, carrying stones, up-rooting side walk pavers to use as missiles, to attack defenseless women, children and other civilians.
He also blames the opposition for the attack on women and children in Jinja East, Bugiri Municipality and, now, Arua Municipality. He says Police will produce detailed evidence in all those incidents.
“Women were raped in Jinja East and Arua Municipality. Verbal threats followed by actual attacks. This is what is called terrorism in my opinion” he added.
The president believes members of the opposition are behind these hideous acts to intimidate “the majority NRM voters” from turning up to vote so that the minority can win. “This is on top of importing voters from other areas to vote in Jinja East, Bugiri Municipality, Arua Municipality etc. The evidence is overwhelming and it will be produced in court” he warned.
These last points: Verbatim
One. Throwing of stones, in close proximity in built up areas, is intention to kill. Remember, a policeman by the names of Ariong John Michael (Assistant Inspector of Police) was killed in Kampala near the Old Taxi Park by a stone thrown by those indisciplined people. How about the NRM supporters, ordinary people, who are made targets of those stones as happened in Arua, Bugiri etc?
Two. The indiscipline of some of these Opposition MPs was displayed in Parliament during the Age Limit debate. Instead, of arguments and logic, they attacked other MPs, threw chairs, up-rooted microphones etc. This was in Parliament with cameras and everybody watching. How about the negative results when they transfer that indiscipline to the streets and built up areas?
Three. Apart from the many injured, the property destroyed, the failure of 70% of the electorate in Arua turning up to vote because of fear of violence, the raping of women in Jinja East and Arua, we have already lost two young people, killed, in Bugiri and Arua, in the violence. The precipitaters of this will not be allowed anymore latitude of damage.
Anybody who is a friend of the young politicians like Bobi Wine should advise them that short cuts like cheating, importing voters, intimidating the voters of the other side, ballot stuffing etc will lead them and Uganda to doom. That is what the young politicians of independence thought and did and it led to disaster.
Even some of the NRM young politicians, I hear, try to emulate those evil practices of cheating. However, for them, they do not use violence. I will uproot those evils. A revolutionary politician is like a mulokole- no cheating, no lying. No killing prisoners. No mistreatment of prisoners. That is how we succeeded
