Vows Rout Of Demonstrators Who Plan U.K. Citizens’ Arrest of Uganda First Lady

Mukula told the U.S. ambassador to Uganda Jerry Lanier in 2009 that Gen. Museveni used him as a fall guy and that most of the money had been used by Janet Museveni.

[Global: Africa] 
 

The chief organizer of a major conference to drum up business in Uganda vows that
British Police will arrest demonstrators who plan to make a citizens
arrest of Janet Museveni, the wife of Uganda’s dictator, on alleged
crimes committed in the East African country.

Mrs. Museveni, a
Member of Parliament, has been minister of the Karamoja region of
Uganda, believed to be rich in untapped minerals including gold. Demonstrations
are planned at the conference billed as the Second Uganda–UK
Convention, scheduled for Saturday, September 15, in London.

The conference organizer also angrily denied that he had been paid $1 million by the Uganda regime to plan the event.

Government
security agents were accused by international and Ugandan human rights
groups of committing violations, including massacres of Karamoja
civilians and looting of their cattle. The Uganda government denied
atrocities were committed and say the operations were designed to stamp
out cattle rustling.

Some of the Special Force units involved in the
operations were commanded by Gen. Museveni’s son, Muhozi Kainerugaba,
recently promoted to Brigadier General. The protest organizers claim the
alleged atrocities occurred while Mrs. Museveni was minister for the
region.

“They are stupid people who don’t want development. I have
learnt about those stupid things, and what they are planning to do,”
Willy Mutenza, the Chairman of the conference’s organizing committee,
said of the planned demonstrations. 

Mutenza says nine Metropolitan Police officers will be at hand to prevent any incident at the conference. 

“People
with little brains are the ones trying to confuse others,” Mutenza
adds. “They allege that I got a million dollars from State House. But I
don’t think that State House can afford to give out a million dollars.”
His reference to State House is to the official residence and offices of
Gen. Museveni.

A protest organizer, Dr. Rashid Kasaato says U.K.
laws permit the arrest of people who have committed “crimes against
humanity.” He points out that in addition to Uganda’s First Lady, other
government officials traveling to the conference were also eligible for
arrest.

During a 2006 visit  to London, a presentation by Gen.
Museveni at The Royal Hotel was briefly disrupted by Dr. Kasaato who
stood and denounced him as a war criminal.

Dr. Kasaato questioned
why millions of dollars under the Global Alliance for Vaccines and
Immunization (GAVI), sent by Western countries to combat diseases,
including HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis in Uganda had been stolen
by officials.

A former Ugandan health minister, Mike Mukula, was
implicated in the theft of $1.5 million of GAVI funds and is now on trial. According to U.S.
embassy cables revealed by WikiLeaks, Mukula told the U.S. ambassador
to Uganda Jerry Lanier in 2009 that Gen. Museveni used him as a fall guy
and that most of the money had been used by Janet Museveni.

“How
can one get named on the GAVI scandal and not charged with treason?”
Dr. Kasaato asks, referring to the Ugandan ministers. “Many children
died, yet the funds were diverted for personal gains. Isn’t that enough
evidence to arrest Janet Museveni?”

Other protest leaders are:
Magero Semanda, the chairman of Uganda Confederates and the proprietor
of Ngoma Radio; Alex Batanda, of Ugandans Against Oppression; and, Moses
Kiwanuka, interim Chairman of Uganda United Pro-democracy.

Calls
and e-mail messages to Uganda officials at the country’s High Commission
to the U.K. in London seeking comment were not returned.

The conference will be held under the theme Diaspora Trade and Investment, at Troxy, 490 Commercial Road, London E1 0HX. 
 
“Speaking Truth To Empower.”

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