Erias Lukwago Was Hit On the Head With Objects & Nose Bled, According To PFF's Lulume Bayigga & Aol.

[00:00:07]Good afternoon, everybody.

[00:00:08]>> Good afternoon.

[00:00:10]>> And I want to welcome again the members of the fourth estate.

[00:00:15]Thank you for your endurance and the support that you're giving this country by highlighting everything that we say.

[00:00:26]And it was upon your effort that we managed to mount the fight and pressure to ensure that the party president was retrieved from the dungeons through the courts of law now to Luzira.

[00:00:45]Maybe better that way than remaining in the dungeons where we don't know what exactly was taking place.

[00:00:57]For those of you who didn't interact with the Honorable Elias Lukwago, I did.

[00:01:06]And let me report to you that he was uh badly assaulted.

[00:01:15]Told me clearly that they hit him on the head and even bled bled from his nose.

[00:01:25]He was assaulted so severely.

[00:01:29]And also he's not too sure about the kind of meals which were given to him because as a normal person you have to feed.

[00:01:42]So it cannot be known whether the meals were safe or not.

[00:01:49]And I will hurriedly say that I would implore to those people in Manson Bay to do baseline laboratory investigations before they take on areas of Uganda for his health.

[00:02:06]For that will be an important milestone in his management after.

[00:02:13]But we want to thank you very much those who followed us and who made the reports the world what was taking place up to the courts of law.

[00:02:28]This This meeting today is not a knee-jerk reaction what is taking place.

[00:02:33]You will remember we have always been telling you that we are working around the clock to ensure that we meet with our brothers and sisters in all shades of political opinion in this in this country including the progressive forces even in the NRA.

[00:02:53]Those people who are tired of what is happening in Uganda especially the existential threat that has visited this country which is orchestrated by the military that is taking over the whole of this political or institutions of government including parliament the courts of law and all facets of authority within this country.

[00:03:27]We are taking this opportunity to come to stand the situation at hand and wake up the Ugandan people to wake up to the realities that are obtaining today.

[00:03:49]Nobody should blame us for not saying what was supposed to happen.

[00:03:58]Today many people in Uganda are so afraid.

[00:04:05]And they are afraid for their lives.

[00:04:09]We have been talking to very many people and they fear for their lives. They say "They will kill us.

[00:04:16]They will kill us.

[00:04:18]They will kill us."

[00:04:21]Without even mentioning who is going to kill them.

[00:04:24]Those who are told that these people are going to kill us, they also keep quiet.

[00:04:30]Many people have been foiled behind.

[00:04:37]They don't want to take part in the national debates of things that that are going on.

[00:04:43]Especially those involving the son of the president who has now distinguished himself as a person above law.

[00:04:54]A person who cannot be summoned by court.

[00:04:57]And a person who uses the military to intimidate all of us with an intention to subdue all political actors and to take over the reins of power from his father to himself and rule the way he wants us he wants to rule.

[00:05:16]That is an existential threat to the constitution of Uganda and the rule of law is under attack.

[00:05:24]And people cannot be allowed to keep quiet.

[00:05:27]Even if they wanted to keep quiet, it is our responsibility to routinely well welcome them into the fray to fight for our country's constitutionalism and rule of law for peace and prosperity of this country we all cherish to be in.

[00:05:45]We invited our brothers and sisters from the sister parties.

[00:05:50]And they they care.

[00:05:52]That is why we have the UPC president Honorable Jimmy Akena with us here.

[00:06:00]>> [applause] >> We have the representative a leader and member of parliament Honorable Fungaroo Kaps >> [applause] >> who happens to be the minister in charge of security shadow cabinet.

[00:06:16]You're most welcome.

[00:06:19]He's coming from FDC party Forum for Democratic Change.

[00:06:25]>> [applause] >> Then we have none other than Honorable Alice Alaso Asianut the original triple A.

[00:06:36]>> [applause] >> Triple A original Alice Alaso Asianut triple A original.

[00:06:48]ANT the leader of ANT Honorable Wadri Kasiano He's a Mukonjo like me.

[00:07:00]The Mukonjo the Tukonjo Tukonjo Abana and Honorable Angelline Osegge who has given us a very powerful [applause] speech.

[00:07:14]We also have Honorable Lewis Rubongoya the secretary general >> [applause] >> of really deep.

[00:07:22]Your coming albeit at a short notice cannot be taken for granted.

[00:07:28]You have come here because you care about the future of our country.

[00:07:33]And this is only the first of this kind of a meeting.

[00:07:39]Our hope is that we are going to have a snowball effect.

[00:07:43]A snowball effect is that is going to engulf the whole of Uganda for a practical realization of the existential threat that we are talking about.

[00:07:54]Where a family led by President Museveni, who we don't know whether he's in charge today because his son, who happens to be the CDF the Chief of Defense Forces is taking over the reins of power when he's looking.

[00:08:12]It's an existential threat because should a state of emergency be declared today the CDF would take over and you will know that you will miss very very many of us for very long time in your life.

[00:08:29]For those who will be surviving.

[00:08:32]So, it is in in that respect that we have summoned ourselves to come and address ourselves to put our act together and to give hope to the people of Uganda that Uganda can do better.

[00:08:50]That is why we are here and we are not going to stop at this. We shall continue with the snowball effect.

[00:08:56]We hope this is going to raise a ripple effect to ensure that everybody gets involved.

[00:09:05]You know, as I have described it's not about political parties it is about actors in the polity of Uganda including the leaders in the social atmosphere the religious leaders our cultural leaders including those in the performing arts who hitherto have not been active in the politics of Uganda because it is our future at stake and we want to put our act together. So this is a clarion call and it's not going to stop here. It's not about the person of Elias Lukwago who has been in the dungeon and is now in prison.

[00:09:52]It's about all of us who are in threat who have been threatened by arrests by kidnap by death by those who have the power of the gun who actually we pay with our own taxpayers money and they're holding us hostage within our country.

[00:10:19]>> Honorable Lukwago was arrested. We say he was abducted. It was very unlawful very unconstitutional and real abuse of human rights.

[00:10:35]Even he was denied the rights of his drugs.

[00:10:40]When they saw very clearly that he was sick they could not allow him to take his drugs with him.

[00:10:51]I also want to say that even in court the government prosecutor who was a lady, a mother did not think about preservation of life.

[00:11:08]She didn't care about the life of honorable Lukwago.

[00:11:14]It's sad very very sad and she was very very insensitive.

[00:11:22]A mother?

[00:11:24]No.

[00:11:27]Yes.

[00:11:29]A lot has already been said.

[00:11:31]On that fateful Monday I came here and we visited three of us visited our doctor Kizza Besigye in court.

[00:11:49]And I asked him Now, doctor, what should we do?

[00:11:54]Because it looks like we are stuck.

[00:11:59]Together with It was together with uh Abed.

[00:12:06]And the third is I forget his name.

[00:12:10]Makoa.

[00:12:12]They three we spent quite some time with them.

[00:12:16]What he told me I want to say has already come to pass.

[00:12:24]Because that time we were talking to him, we still did not know where the mayor, former was. We didn't know where he was.

[00:12:35]So, he said After probably somewhere hidden he will end up in police.

[00:12:48]After police court.

[00:12:51]After court then Luzira with us here.

[00:12:57]And the journey has been accomplished.

[00:12:59]Yes, they the way doctor told us.

[00:13:03]But what he said is keep strong.

[00:13:08]Keep strong.

[00:13:10]It is not easy.

[00:13:12]It's difficult, but continue to keep strong.

[00:13:16]Together we are stronger.

[00:13:20]When we are not together, it is difficult.

[00:13:24]So ours is to continuously promote the the idea of servant leadership. When you are a leader, you must know that you are there also using taxpayer.

[00:13:44]Even Gerald Mose when he went to study abroad, if that was what he was taught to do, it was on taxpayers' money.

[00:13:57]And so he needed to be a little humble.

[00:14:01]He needed to know that he's a servant leader. Would you like to serve cops?

[00:14:07]Would you like to serve people who are in prison? Would Would you like to serve people who are so fearful?

[00:14:14]Everybody seems to be fearful. Even the institutions of police, they were all very fearful. I believe even court.

[00:14:23]So, why is that? It's just because there is a lot of impunity in this country.

[00:14:32]So, we need to stand up and stand up by our words.

[00:14:37]I'm a mother.

[00:14:39]And as a mother, I always feel very bad if our young people are hurt in trying to struggle to see that we bring sanity back to our country.

[00:14:53]Sometimes the young people, the youth lose their lives. We have seen how they have been beaten beaten beaten.

[00:15:01]Sometimes they bring these uh what? The clips all the time where the youth suffer very much.

[00:15:10]As a mother, we don't want our children to suffer.

[00:15:13]Uganda is rich enough for all of us.

[00:15:17]Uganda is endowed with a lot of resources.

[00:15:22]But it's not for greed.

[00:15:24]It is for sharing.

[00:15:26]And it is for love.

[00:15:30]Our motto of the country say, "For God and my country."

[00:15:35]And even our anthem is very good.

[00:15:40]If we honor God and we say God first, why is it that we do what is completely ugly before the eyes of the world?

[00:15:53]It's so ugly.

[00:15:54]And nobody talks about it, especially now the father. The father of Moses should be able to restrain him.

[00:16:04]That no, that is wrong.

[00:16:09]How are we going to move if he becomes the president of Uganda?

[00:16:15]God forbid.

[00:16:17]Really?

[00:16:20]Huh.

[00:16:21]I don't know where we will end up. All of us will be going back to Amin's time.

[00:16:26]Most Most Most Most of you I I But, Amin was also feared.

[00:16:35]I remember when I was in senior senior two, at least my headmistress, who was uh an Italian, said, "If you say stupid to your to your to your classmate, no problem.

[00:16:58]If you say stupid to your to a your class teacher, you may get some uh punishment.

[00:17:06]If you say stupid to your head teacher, you you get suspension or dismission.

[00:17:13]But, if you say stupid to Amin, your are neck will cry to your head.

[00:17:22]That was what people used to think.

[00:17:25]People were very fearful. People would not just be free to express their what their views.

[00:17:32]So it is important that people's we say uh freedom for all all for freedom.

[00:17:40]People should be allowed to be free.

[00:17:45]And we must respect people's views.

[00:17:48]Where you are we should be respectful of your view.

[00:17:52]Either of your religion.

[00:17:55]Last year early last year in Gulu city we decided to move to institution of those churches different churches. We went to Catholic.

[00:18:08]We didn't get the the the the is it the his grace uh the archbishop but we got a monsignor and we delivered our message. Why do you keep quiet?

[00:18:20]Dr. Kizza Besigye is suffering.

[00:18:24]And very many others.

[00:18:26]Then we moved to we moved to Anglican church.

[00:18:31]We delivered the same message.

[00:18:33]And we moved to the Muslim.

[00:18:36]We also delivered the same message. We moved to cultural institution. We delivered the same message.

[00:18:43]That you should not leave it only to the politicians. We also need to see that all those different fraternities come up to speak for evils in our country. This is country for all of us.

[00:18:58]I want to thank everybody.

[00:19:02]May I say my the the the UPC president that is my original president before I moved to FDC, I was in UPC. That was where my mother and father were.

[00:19:18]So, thank you very much.

[00:19:21]Thank you um aunt, thank you FDC.

[00:19:28]It was FDC which made me to be leader of opposition.

[00:19:33]We decided to scatter.

[00:19:37]Now we see that it is important for us to again converse.

[00:19:42]Let us converse.

[00:19:44]Thank you NUP.

[00:19:47]Even in parliament, we are actually steered by NUP.

[00:19:53]And yesterday, when I went to take on the leader of opposition, after his what?

[00:20:04]After his message to the country, he said he was going to write. I I also encouraged him to write.

[00:20:11]Write to the speaker of parliament to recall us as quickly as possible because this seems to be a small thing that Lukwago is saying, "Maybe somebody is small."

[00:20:23]Lukwago is not small.

[00:20:25]Then tomorrow, nobody is safe. How about the small ones? They can just be taken without even people realizing.

[00:20:34]Huh? We realize the big ones. So, we need to be together. Thank you. May God bless you in grace and more wisdom to all of us to see how to handle this very difficult situation. Thank you very much. I say all this for God might ask you.

[00:20:53]>> [applause]