KAMPALA, UGANDA: Former presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye has vowed to start from where he stopped with his protests against high commodity prices.
Besigye made the statement shortly after being released from Luzira prison by Buganda Road Magistrate’s court. He has been in prison since May 25 on charges of inciting violence – with the prosecution accusing him of going to Arua Park in Kampala and making statements indicating the desire to demonstrate over inflation and lack of government interventions.
However, Besigye who is said to have used a megaphone to incite the traders denied the charges and was asked to pay Shs 30 million bail cash by Buganda Road Court grade one magistrate Siena Owomugisha. He successfully challenged the exorbitant bail money demands in the High court.
Shortly after being released on a Shs 3 million cash bail as directed by the High court, Besigye said that he was unshaken by the two weeks he has spent in prison, adding that freedom fighters never give up.
“I’m not at all shaken or feeling sorry for myself or feel that this is too much for myself. I know that I can face worse. What we’re fighting for is freedom and equal rights of citizens…We’re willing to pay the highest price in order to be free in order to enjoy our rights in our country. So for me, two weeks in jail is nothing, simply nothing that is why I cannot be deterred if that is what they intended to do,” he said.
He added that despite a struggling Ugandan economy, President Yoweri Museveni is still living a luxurious life in that his State House spends about 2 billion per day which if put to proper use can benefit many Ugandans.
He has also described the Shs 3 million he has paid to get bail as a lot of money, saying that he has previously been given non-cash bail on capital offences such as terrorism, rape and treason. According to Besigye, he is not satisfied with this order too and he is going to discuss it with his lawyers to see if it can be challenged further.
Police left nothing to chance as they picked up Besigye as soon as he exited the court premises and drove him straight to his home in Kasangati, Wakiso district.
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