Presidential hopeful Charles Rwomushana has spoken out on events that unfolded July 28 night after NBS TV’s Barometer Akasameme.
Rwomushana had appeared alongside Mukono Municipality MP, Kira Municipality’s Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, Kabula’s James Kakooza and People Power pressure group informal sector coordinator Fred Nyanzi.
Blasio Zambaali Mukasa moderated the show in which the panelists dissected the day’s trending issues.
With the show ending minutes before midnight, Rwomushana, Ssemujju, Kakooza and Nambooze made their way out of the Kamwokya-based station.
But outside, particularly at the Kayunga Junction, police waited. On realising this, Ssemujju and Nambooze opted to sleep in the Media Plaza building.
Police allowed Kakooza, a former minister, to leave because he has UPDF guards.
Police arrested Rwomushana, the former head of political intelligence at the Internal Security Organization (Iso), for flouting curfew regulations.
On July 29, City Hall Senior Grade One Magistrate Valerian Tuhimbise charged Rwomushana, James Mubiru. Gaster Opondo and Ali Abdallah with disobedience of lawful orders.
Abdallah pleaded guilty to the charges and Tuhimbise fined him Shs200,000.
Court granted bail to Rwomushana and the others.
RWOMUSHANA NARRATES ARREST, DETENTION ORDEAL
This was after the Barometer Akasameme show.
I hear some say I violated the covid 19 regulations.
I wouldn’t do so.
And it was not possible to violate covid19 Regulations since the TV was sealed by more than 12 Police Patrol Vehicles backed up by heavily Armed Units of the Army and SFC.
Firstly, Media services were exempted as essential services and a Talk Show where I’m a Panelist falls into the said exemptions. We host Ministers and security officers same time etc.
You don’t violate curfew at place of work and or residence.
We were still at the place of work and indeed security prevented us from leaving.
It took them long to get Museveni clear the release of Hon Kakooza because they had complications to do with his defiance and yet he was guarded by Armed Soldiers.
I was ordered to drive ahead for like a hundred meters and parked in the middle of a sealed-off road.
The Nambooze, and Ssemujju Nganda team withdrew back inside and I heard the commander seek orders to storm the building and was advised against it but ordered to seal all roads including the other streets behind the NBS TV premises.
I was then taken to the police cells.
They had wanted to do something silly but for other considerations wouldn’t let us out of the premises.
The charge placed on me is merely a diversion and a coverup.
Inside the cells and some Kyagulanyi boys we made some discoveries that are very interesting.
All of us need to exercise maximum restraint.
I’m merely a messenger of the message of life and whoever torments me torments he who sent me.
Read: Hostile relationship between State and Media ahead of 2021 elections
