Former Forum for Democratic Change Presidential candidate Dr. Kizza Besigye has lashed out at President Museveni over his remarks on police brutality early this week.
Museveni on Sunday while closing a cabinet retreat in Kyankwanzi said that Besigye was to blame for the brutality meted out by police to his, saying that his methods of work are illegal.
“We don’t support police brutality but you also know that we don’t support the indiscipline of the political actors like Dr Besigye,” Museveni told journalists on Sunday.
President Museveni gave a mixed reaction to the media reports about police brutality in the country and blamed it on Dr Kizza Besigye whom he accused of “indiscipline and lawlessness.”
Museveni defended the use of batons to break illegal demonstrations as opposed to the sticks usually used by herdsmen, which the policemen were seen using to beat Dr Besigye’s supporters last month.
“We don’t support police brutality but you also know that we don’t support the indiscipline of the political actors like Dr Besigye,” Mr Museveni said
He added, “There are other opposition leaders; I have not heard them getting involved in these conflicts with the police. There are there: Cecilia Ogwal, people like DP’s Mao, the UPCs and others. The whole thing is Besigye and with his indiscipline and lawlessness.”
However addressing journalists on Wednesday at his home in Kasangati, Besigye said that if indeed he is indisciplined and lawless as President Museveni claims, government has failed in its duties to keep enforce law and order.
“If I am doing anything unlawful, it is the responsibility of the police to see the laws work on me. I have spent 15 years trying to remove him (President Museveni) but there is no record of any wrong doing I have done,” Besigye boasted.
“Why not take me to court so I am imprisoned for the offences. On the contrary, on all occasions the cases against me have been dismissed.”