By Aggrey Baba
Following the recent PLU demonstration at the Turkish Embassy, PFF Deputy President Dr Michael Lulume Bayiga has turned his guns on the Muhoozi-linked outfit, accusing police of shielding its activities while ruthlessly blocking PFF from holding a peaceful procession to the Chief Justice.
Speaking on Monday, September 21, in Kampala at Katonga road, the PFF headquarters, Lulume questioned how police could deploy armed personnel to stop PFF from delivering a petition to the Chief Justice while accompanying PLU supporters to a foreign diplomatic mission, saying his party had earlier planned a formal but peaceful procession to the Chief Justice’s office to deliver its concerns over the continued detention and treatment of its leaders, including national chairman Erias Lukwago and Dr Kizza Besigye.
Instead, he said, armed men surrounded the PFF headquarters, blocked people from accessing the premises and disrupted communication channels, making it impossible for the planned procession to happen.
The former MP for Buikwe South Constituency
said the episode became even more disturbing when contrasted with the subsequent PLU march from Lugogo Cricket Oval to the Turkish Embassy on September 18th, where PLU foot soldiers demanded that Turkey hand over activist and NUP foot soldier Fred Kajubi Lumbuye.
He accused the police of displaying two different standards, arguing that PFF was treated as though its planned procession posed a security threat while PLU supporters were allowed to proceed with their demonstration.
“A peaceful procession cannot be from one organisation, which is not even a political party,” Lulume said, questioning the basis for the different treatment.
He was particularly critical of PLU’s perceived connection to the military establishment, describing it as a “parasitic organization” on the NRM and arguing that its involvement in the Turkish Embassy demonstration risked exposing Uganda to unnecessary diplomatic consequences.
According to Lulume, Uganda’s relationship with Turkeyy extends beyond politics, covering trade, development and military training. He therefore questioned why the police would permit a group to demonstrate at the premises of a foreign diplomatic mission over an issue involving a mere NUP foot soldier.
“Look, the parasitic organization on the NRM was allowed to access the premises of the Turkish embassy just to destroy relations with dire consequences to Uganda,” he said.
The PLU demonstration was organized around demands for the return of Lumbuye, with its organizers, led by PLU Secretary General Twalla Fadil maintaining that the protest was peaceful and intended to pressure Turkey over Lumbuye’s continued stay there.
But Lulume argued that the episode had exposed a deeper problem in the way Uganda’s security agencies handle public assembly and political activity.
He recalled that PFF had wanted to march to the Chief Justice because of its concerns about the incarceration of Besigye and Lukwago, whom the party says should be outside prison and able to access doctors of their choice, adding that the police response to PFF’s planned procession could not be reconciled with its conduct during the PLU demonstration.
He also questioned whether President YK Museveni remains fully in charge of the security establishment, pointing to the growing influence of Gen Muhoozi and the PLU in political and public affairs.
“We have always said that maybe President Museveni is not in charge. If he is in charge, he is being misled by that outfit,” Lulume said, challenging Museveni to assert presidential authority and clarify who ultimately makes the decisions affecting the freedom of Ugandans and the country’s diplomatic interests.
“We in PFF are calling upon Gen Museveni himself, who has been here for over 40 years, either to assert his power as the president of this country, or to let us know who is leading this country,” he said.
Lulume also demanded that police explain the rules governing public demonstrations, particularly why the identity or political affiliation of an organizing group should determine whether its members are allowed to assemble and march.
His criticism extended beyond PFF, with the opposition politician urging the media to scrutinise the selective enforcement by security agencies, arguing that when one group is prevented from holding a peaceful procession while another is escorted to a foreign embassy, the issue becomes bigger than the organizations directly involved.
