A4C Press Release, October 21, 2011 - Free the Walkers

A4C PRESS RELEASE

AT KAMPALA, October 21^st 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press,

We have invited you here once again to address issues arising out of the Walk to Work Week.  In the last few days the government has showed the extent to which it is determined to go to restrict our rights and freedoms.  We have been labeled terrorists and accused of treason.  There has been a complete disregard of our human rights and the rule of law has been thrown out the window.  Government has put aside all pretenses at civility and bared its knuckles, targeting activists in the harshest way.

The government has used scare tactics to try and intimidate the public into quiet submission.  Specific activists were targeted for the harshest measures so that others might be frightened into silence.  Yet even in the midst of the chaotic disruption of our peaceful activities there are those who remain resolute and determined to carry on with the campaign to the very end.  We shall not let them down.

But first we would like to condemn in the strongest terms the brutal arrests and inhumane treatment of activists around the country.  In Mbarara town yesterday morning, a procession of activists was brutally attacked by security forces as they peacefully protested the house arrest of Dr. Kizza Besigye.  Police and LDU’s descended on Vincent Musiime and Bainomugisha Malice with knives and stones inflicting serious injuries on them during their arrest.  They were detained at the police station and denied medical attention until their fellow activists intervened.  Moses Byamugisha, Julius Amanya and Fred Kato who were arrested alongside Dr. Kizza Besigye in Kasangati on Tuesday were similarly brutalized during arrest and Kato is suffering severe injuries on his neck and rib cage.  We are continuing to receive reports of police brutality against innocent people who are participating in the Walk to Work Week.

In Isingiro, activists Bahati Deo and Yasin Abdu Karim who have now been transferred to the Regional Police Office in Mbarara were denied food brought to them by their relatives.  Three people, Mr. Rajab Kaya, Faridah Nakabugo and Jenny Lubega  who tried to supply food to those detained at Jinja Road on Sunday  were also detained with the rest.  In Kabwohe and Bushenyi where a total of 13 activists were detained, our lawyers filed an application for an order for their release after their were held for more than the mandatory 48 hours without arraignment and by last evening they could not find a magistrate to hear the cases.  At Kiira Road police station in Kampala Fiona Busingye unlawfully detained beyond 48 hours in police stations without arraignment.  This unlawful detention happened also in Ntungamo, Hoima, Busia and Mbarara.  At Nakawa court our colleagues Francis Mwijukye, Sam Mugumya and Ingrid Turinawe were charged with treason for successfully coordinating a country wide walk to work campaign.  In Kasangati, Kizza Besigye was placed under house arrest and remained closely guarded by the military, anti-riot police and an array of plain clothes police officers.  In Nangabo, Kasangati  an LC Chairman and a lady known as Jane were taken from their homes by security operatives at night and their whereabouts are unknown.  Several activists were unlawfully detained for 4 – 5 days in police cells at Jinja Road Police station.  They were released without any charges and are preparing to sue the Attorney General and Inspector General of Police for unlawful detention. 

We condemn in the strongest terms the police, military and security officers who have become a law unto themselves and use coercion to arbitrarily detain, torture, persecute and prosecute innocent citizens.

Today we are here to urgently make the following demands to the state:

1.       The immediate and unconditional release of all activists who are unlawfully detained in police stations around the country

2.       The unconditional dropping of all charges against activists including the ludicrous treason charges and the immediate release of remanded activists.

3.       An immediate end to the siege of Dr. Kizza Besigye’s house by security forces and to his house arrest and the guaranteeing of his and all activists’ freedoms of movement and association.

Activists around the country will continue to demonstrate peacefully even beyond the Walk to Work Week, until these conditions are met.

We have notified the Office of the President and Police of our intention to converge for a rally at Kololo Independence  Grounds for a rally tomorrow at 2pm and we would like to invite you all to join us there.

Hon. Mathias Mpuuga (MP)

National Coordinator (A4C)

From Dictatorship to Democracy, the Luganda Version

A small group of activists who connected through the Facebook Group 'Activists4Change' https://www.facebook.com/groups/activists4change/ have accomplished a small feat by volunteering their time and skills to complete an important project to promote democracy in Uganda.

The activists based in Uganda and abroad have completed translating Gene Sharp's seminal work 'From Dictatorship to Democracy' to a major Ugandan language - Luganda.  The same group is seeking support to work on translating the book into other major Ugandan languages.  The e-book is free and we encourage you to distribute it widely and make it available in schools and institutions of higher learning.  The original English Version of the book can be found here:

http://www.aeinstein.org/organizations/org/FDTD.pdf


I would like to applaud the efforts of the committed A4C activists who completed this translation.  A website is being created where you may access an electronic copy of the Luganda Version.  In the meantime I will be pleased to send the e-book as an attachment to your email Inbox if you request it via

activists4change@gmail.com

Together we can make a difference!

Anne Mugisha
A4C

Press Release, Day 2 of Walk to Work Week, 18 October, 2011

PRESS RELEASE

AT KAMPALA, October 18^th 2011

Let me start by thanking all of you who stepped out in the face of intimidation and threats from the highest office of this land to the lowliest security official and walked to work these past two days.  I know the tremendous courage it took to do the most ordinary and mundane of things: To walk to work.  Your cause for a better Uganda was almost lost in the noise of propaganda that followed our decision to declare the Walk to Work Week.  The panic caused by your commitment to change is testament to your courage and dedication. 

I would like to address some key concerns relating to the Walk to Work Week.  The first being the concern that children were doing exams and they would be disrupted by our activities.  We took this into due consideration, because parents’ failure to meet their children’s education needs has been at the center of our campaigns.  Yet the Inspector General of Police using a letter from a dubious group known as the Parent’s Brigade decided to clamp down on our rights.  The brigade alleged they had information that participants in Walk to Work intended to take cover in schools when pursued by anti-riot police.  It is very revealing that the IGP was willing to take action based on the word of this dubious Brigade.  It is also revealing that both the Police and the Brigade worked on the assumption that walking to work is a chaotic activity that attracts anti-riot police.

Activists For Change is a pressure group that is founded on the principle of nonviolent action.  Our activities are peaceful and we disassociate ourselves from any group that uses violent methods to achieve its objectives.  We decided to go ahead with our Walk to Work week because we were confident that we would conduct ourselves peacefully and because we were not prepared to concede our constitutional rights and freedoms.  But there was another reason why we went ahead.  In our past dealings with the Police, they have found any and every reason to frustrate our activities.  Since we launched A4C last April we have had to carry out our campaign in spite of the police and not because of their cooperation.  

The launch of A4C in April at Christ the King was disrupted and we had to quickly find an alternative venue at a hotel.  Our first activity, Walk to Work; was fought tooth and nail by government’s security and PR apparatus.  The government was jittery and imputed reasons to our actions that were borne of its fear of a peoples’ revolution.  We defied their illegal attempts to muzzle us and went ahead with the first phase of Walk to Work.  As a result they used disproportionate force to clamp down our activities causing death and injuries as well as bringing this country into international disrepute.  When we launched the ‘Light a Candle’ campaign to honor the dead, it ended with the staccato noise of gunfire that has become the unfortunate finale of A4C’s peaceful events.  Soon thereafter we tried to join North Africans to celebrate the fall of dictators and once again Police refused to grant us permission.  We were labeled terrorists in what is an obvious design to criminalize our peaceful group.

These past experiences were instructive to our decision to go ahead with the Walk to Work Week.  We realized that there would never be a ‘right time’ for A4C events.  There would always be an excuse to stop our activities.  Such government interventions to frustrate the work of activists for change everywhere are not surprising.  Martin Luther King famously said: "The time is always right to do what is right."  And  Samantha Booke, frustrated by segregated education system, not unlike the one we have here with UPE and Private schools said: "To share the same campus. To walk into the same classroom. Well, would you kindly tell me when that day is gonna come? Is it going to come tomorrow? Is it going to come next week? In a hundred years? Never? No, the time for justice, the time for freedom, and the time for equality, is always right now!"

A concern that is ours as activists is the abductions, detentions, illegal arrests and trumped up charges.  In two days of the campaign we already have over 50 people arrested across the country for an array of charges ranging from vagabond to treason; all because they walked or planned to walk to work.  On Sunday security agencies swung into action with a sting operation at Katonga Road where a meeting of activists was taking place.  Plain clothes security officials surrounded the offices and started picking activists who were leaving the meeting.  Alan Mutagubya, Martin Mayanja and their colleagues were bundled into a van and ‘disappeared.’  By Sunday evening a full scale panda gari operation was underway and we received SOS calls from Francis Mwijukye and Sam Mugumya saying they were picked up and did not know where they were being taken.  On Monday morning after discovering that activists were being held at Jinja Road Police station , Jenny Lubega and Nakabugo Farida took them water and food, only to be apprehended and kept behind bars!  Reports started coming in that activists who were walking to work were being arrested country wide.  

On Monday our lawyers saw the charge sheets of our colleagues at Jinja Road Police station that stated crimes of incitement to violence and unlawful assembly.  But today we learnt that the charges had been changed to treason.  We learnt also that the government is leaning on officers of the judiciary to proffer serious charges that will make it difficult to grant bail and if bail is  granted then stiff monetary conditions should be imposed.  This afternoon the Inspector General of Police released a statement to bolster the trumped up treason charges.  He claimed that Ingrid Turinawe chaired a meeting in which she told her ‘commanders’ to overthrow the government by stopping the movement of vehicles at Kisekka market!  If it were not such a serious offense with a death sentence hanging over our colleagues; we might even have found it hilarious.  In the space of three weeks we have been accused by the Inspector General of Police of crimes of terror and treason.  We appear to be the biggest threat that the government is dealing with right now and Kayihura’s determination to criminalize us has made him blind to the ludicrous nature of his allegations.  We would not be surprised if he tried to concoct evidence to support his absurd claims because the police is infamous for framing suspects and Kayihura’s allegations are regarded by most people with the deepest contempt.  They have not forgotten Elizabeth Kutesa a senior police officer who distinguished herself as a forger.

Police has the technology to tap our phones and record our conversations but it is interesting that Kayihura would withhold such information until ‘Walk to Work Week.’ And release it only after he was stuck with suspects without an appropriate charge!  Rather than call press conferences to spread lies and preempt the work of court, the police should play its role, which is to gather evidence and take it to court to be tested.  Yet when our colleagues appeared in Nakawa court for arraignment this evening, the court was unable to proceed because the Police file was ‘missing.’  Our colleagues have now been detained longer than the mandatory 48 hours before arraignment while police engages in PR and political gymnastics.

Ugandans and the world know that this government exists on a life support system which comprises the military and the police.  We are not afraid to repeat here that a government that represses its people loses its legitimacy and is not fit to rule.

We are only half way through the Walk to Work week, and the events of this week so far have given us much more reason to walk.  We therefore urge you to continue supporting the cause of economic justice and responsive government by walking to work every day this week.  As expected the Police has set conditions to make our rally in Kololo nearly impossible.  We are considering converging at an alternative venue which we shall communicate in due course.

For God and my Country!

Hon. Mathias Mpuuga (MP)

National Coordinator, A4C

Press Statement and letter to IGP on Exams during W2W Week

ACTIVISTS FOR CHANGE-(A4C)

PRESS STATEMENT

AT KAMPALA October, 15^th 2001

WALK TO WORK WEEK: October 17^th - 22^nd 2001

Ladies and Gentlemen of the media,

We have called this special and urgent press conference to inform the public that we are aware that 'O – level' students will be beginning their exams on Monday 17^th October, which coincides with the start of our ‘Walk to Work week.’  We are anxious to ensure that they start and complete their exams successfully.

Accordingly, we have written to the Inspector General of Police, reminding him that it will be in the interest of all concerned that law and order are observed strictly during the Walk to Work week.  We wish to assure the public that activists will only be engaged in walking from their places of residence to their places of work.  There will be no assemblies or rallies until Saturday October 22^nd, 2011 when we will converge in Kololo for a rally.

We recall with regret the incidents during the last Walk to Work campaign, when police unleashed terror against innocent school children in classes and schools.  We urge the police to desist from using tear gas, rubber and live ammunition against walkers who will include students going to schools to sit their exams.  They are already under academic pressure and do not need the extra anxiety that may be caused by trigger-happy security officers. 

We encourage students to wake up early, walk to school and be part of the campaign for change. We urge members of the public to participate peacefully in this exercise and ensure that they observe law and order.  We reiterate that Activists for Change only organizes peaceful nonviolent activities. 

Hon Mathias Mpuuga (MP)

National Coordinator, A4C

LETTER TO IGP

ACTIVISTS FOR CHANGE-(A4C)

October 15, 2011

The Inspector General of Police

Police Headquarters

KAMPALA

Dear Sir,

We are writing to inform you that O – level students will be beginning their exams on Monday 17^th October, which be the start of our ‘Walk to Work week.’  We are anxious to ensure that they start and complete their exams successfully. We recall with regret the incidents during the last Walk to Work campaign, when police unleashed terror against innocent school children in classes and schools.  We urge the police to desist from using tear gas, rubber and live ammunition against walkers who will include students going to schools to sit their exams.  They are already under academic pressure and do not need the extra anxiety that may be caused by trigger-happy security officers. 

We remind you that it is in the best interest of all concerned that law and order are observed strictly during the Walk to Work week.  We wish to assure you that activists will only be engaged in walking from their places of residence to their places of work.  There will be no assemblies or rallies until Saturday October 22^nd, 2011 when we will converge in Kololo for a rally.

We reiterate that Activists for Change organizes peaceful nonviolent activities only and they remain peaceful until disrupted by rowdy security officers.  We look forward to your cooperation and a successful week of the walk to work campaign.

Hon. Mathias Mpuuga (MP)

National Coordinator, A4C

A4C Launches 'Walk to Work Week'

Press Release

AT Kampala, October 13^th 2011, Ladies and Gentlemen of the media

We have declared next week starting Monday 17^th 2011, a ‘Walk to Work Week.’  Activists from across the nation will once again be walking in a campaign to focus the attention of policy makers on the intensifying economic hardship caused by inflation, escalating cost of living and wastage of public resources.  The campaign aims to highlight the two most pressing issues of the day: the economic crisis and corruption. The economy is in crisis, with soaring inflation, escalating unemployment, and rising fuel and food prices.  It is becoming harder and harder for Ugandans to feed their children and provide for their good health and education.  Meantime we are overwhelmed with scandal after scandal of unmitigated loss of public resources through government’s negligence and outright theft by public officials.

When we started protesting in April 2011, the annual inflation rate was at 14.1 per cent, it is now at 28.3 per cent. The shilling has depreciated to an all-time low and is now trading at UGX 2850 to one US dollar from UGX 2170 to the US dollar last April.   Yet as you know there has been no adjustment in the salaries for workers to cater for inflation.  The purchasing power for middle class Ugandans and workers has diminished drastically yet the increase in cost of essential commodities like household goods, fuel, health care and education is unrelenting.  In April petrol was UGX 3,400= per liter, it now goes for UGX 3,900=.  Sugar was UGX 2,800/- a kilo, now it is UGX 6,000/=; charcoal was UGX 25,000/= a sack, now it is UGX 75,000/=. 

Government has responded to our appeal for austerity measures with arrogant denial of the harsh economic reality.  It has chosen instead to brand those of us who speak up as ‘terrorists.’  There have been no serious policy interventions that match the seriousness of the current economic situation.  The cosmetic attempts at lowering taxes on kerosene and sugar in the 2011/12 budget have had no impact on escalating food and fuel prices. 

As Ugandans struggle to keep up with the rising cost of living they learn of billions of shillings lost in shoddy government contracts every day.  Parliament has helped to expose serious fraud, embezzlement and bribery among senior members of the government.  Taxpayer’s money is stolen and it ends up in private accounts of government officials and in their bedrooms. When teachers went on strike for increased salaries, government’s response was that there is no money, but a week later Parliament was presented with a supplementary budget of 190 billion for State House and soon thereafter, billions of shillings went missing from State House vaults! 

Government continues to encroach on taxpayers resources through secretive deals like the sale of shares in Kinyara Sugar Works and oil deals whose magnitude we are yet to fully grasp.  We pay special tribute to those who have worked tirelessly to expose the rot in government.  Government’s attempt to whitewash corruption and wastage through selective prosecution and resignations of senior cabinet members, is ineffective and an affront to the people of this nation.  The President has stated that he has had complete oversight of all oil contracts and we demand a thorough and open investigation of the President and his Cabinet in the oil-gate scandal.  The Prime Minister should follow the cue of his colleagues and resign immediately.  In fact the whole Cabinet should resign because we are not convinced that this government can lead the fight against corruption.

Our appeal to you, the media, is that you speak up loudly and clearly when we resume the Walk to Work campaign this month.  Your voices will strengthen advocacy for the ordinary people of Uganda who are robbed in daylight as they struggle to cope with the economic crisis. We invite the public to participate in the campaign and show solidarity with the increasing number of people who walk to work every day; people who can barely afford a meal a day or health care and education for their children even as billions of shillings are being siphoned by conmen from public coffers into foreign accounts.  For a long time, our patience and tolerance have been abused and mistaken for weakness.  Let us take seven days to peacefully demonstrate our outrage at the gross mismanagement of our country.  We urge you to park your vehicles and boda bodas every day starting Monday for a week and walk to work and to worship. 

Thank you for supporting the cause for economic justice and responsive government. 

Sincerely,

Hon. Mathias Mpuuga (MP)

National Coordinator, A4C

activists4change@gmail.com

Invitation to Launch Event - W2W Phase II

ACTIVISTS FOR CHANGE(A4C)

Invitation

Activists for Change (A4C) is a non-partisan pressure group that uses nonviolent, peaceful actions to hold government accountable for its policies and actions

We are writing to invite you to an event to launch our next campaign against rising cost of living, inflation and wastage of public resources.  The peaceful activities that we will engage in, will address the two most pressing issues today: the economic crisis and corruption. The economy is in crisis, with rising inflation, escalating unemployment, and soaring fuel and food prices.  It is becoming harder and harder for Ugandans to feed their children and provide for their good health and education.  Yet as we struggle to keep up with the escalating cost of living we also learn of billions of shillings lost in shoddy government contracts every day. 

The event will take place at Christ the King Cardinal  Wamala hall, on Thursday 13^th October, 2011 at 11am.

A calendar of our activities will be released to the public at the same function.

Your presence will be highly appreciated.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Hon. Mathias Mpuuga (MP)

National Coordinator, A4C

RSVP

activists4change@gmail.com

SUPPORT W2W PHASE II

                        REQUEST FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT  

Activists For Change (A4C) is a non-partisan pressure group that uses nonviolent, peaceful action to hold the government accountable for its actions and policies; and we are writing to ask for your support during our next campaign against rising cost of living, inflation and wastage of public resources.  The peaceful protests that we will engage in, with your support, will address the two most pressing issues today: the economic crisis and corruption. The economy is in crisis, with rising inflation, escalating unemployment, and soaring fuel and food prices.  It is becoming harder and harder for Ugandans to feed their children and provide for their good health and education.

When we started protesting over cost of living in April 2011, the annual inflation rate was at 14.1 per cent, it is now at 28.3 per cent. The shilling has depreciated to an all-time low and is now trading at UGX 2850 to one US dollar from UGX 2170 to the US dollar last April.   Yet as you know there has been no adjustment in the salaries for workers to cater for inflation.  The purchasing power for middle class Ugandans and workers has diminished drastically yet the increase in cost of essential commodities like household goods, fuel, health care and education is unrelenting.  In April petrol was UGX 3,400= per liter, it now goes for UGX 3,900=.  Sugar was UGX 2,800/- a kilo, now it is UGX 6,000/=; charcoal was UGX 25,000/= a sack, now it is UGX 75,000/=. 

Government has responded to our appeal for austerity measures with arrogant denial of the harsh economic reality.  It has chosen instead to brand those who speak up as ‘terrorists.’  There have been no serious policy interventions that match the seriousness of the current economic situation.  The cosmetic attempts at lowering taxes on kerosene and sugar in the budget for the current fiscal year had no impact at all on escalating prices of food and fuel.  

As Ugandans struggle to keep up with the rising cost of living they learn of billions of shillings lost in shoddy government contracts every day.  Taxpayer’s money is stolen and ends up in people’s bedrooms. When teachers went on strike for increased salaries, government’s response was that there is no money, but a week later Parliament was presented with a supplementary budget of 190 billion for State House and soon thereafter, billions of shillings went missing from State House vaults!  Government continues to encroach on taxpayers resources through secretive deals like the sale of shares in Kinyara Sugar Works and the oil deals whose magnitude we are yet to fully grasp.  We pay special tribute to those among you who have worked tirelessly to expose the rot in government.  Government’s attempt to whitewash corruption and wastage through selective prosecution of public figures, is ineffective and an affront to the people of this nation.

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT OUR CAUSE?

This month, activists from across the nation will once again be working together to focus the attention of policy makers on the harsh economic realities and on the wastage of public resources. A calendar of our events will be released shortly so that you can prepare to participate directly by not driving or riding on campaign days.  We invite you to participate in the campaign as an important way of showing solidarity with an increasing number of people who walk to work every day. We appeal to everyone to speak up loudly and clearly when we resume the Walk to Work campaign this month.  Your voices will strengthen advocacy for the ordinary people of Uganda and also save lives and protect the rights of activists and innocent people.   .

Thank you for supporting the cause for economic justice and responsive government. 

Sincerely,

Hon. Mathias Mpuuga (MP)

National Coordinator, A4C

activists4change@gmail.com