Besigye return: Live update

Dr. Kizza Besigye and his wife Winnie Byanyima on their way from Entebbe Airport on 12th-05-2011. Besigye was from Kenya where he has undergoing medical treatment after he was sprayed with pepper which affected his eyes. PHOTO BY JOSEPH KIGGUNDU

Posted Thursday, May 12 2011 at 14:30

THURSDAY 12th 2011

14:56 EAT: President Museveni is said to be around Sseguku heading to Entebbe statehouse. Dr Besigye crowds have been stopped on the junction that goes to Akright estates as you get into Bwebajja.

14:36 EAT: At Namulanda military officers continue ordering people to clear the road and using canes to beat back those who resist or do not make way fast enough. However , crowds keep surging back towards the road . Dr. Besigye, who has been greeting well wishers since his convoy left Entebbe airport 3hours ago looks exhausted.

14:18 EAT: Convoy now in Kawuku heading to Kampala14:25 EAT: A very large crowd of people is converging on Kibuye roundabout, the first intersection of the Kampala-Entebbe Highway. People started thronging the spot as early as 10.00 a.m. today and a carnival atmosphere is building up over the place. Our reporter, Mercy Nalugo, reports that private vehicles arriving from the Nateete side are being boarded at will by very enthusiastic supporters of the Forum for Democratic Change leader. Hundreds of armed men in military and police uniform uniforms have deployed around as the people await arrival of the Dr Besigye convoy.

14:18 EAT: Still at Kisubi, supporters block the panya (short cut) where their leader had been forced to divert by the police. They started burning tyres and the convoy feared using the road, choosing to take the main road.

14:04 EAT: The army tries to convince Dr Besigye to agree that he be escorted to Nsambya but he has refused, saying he can’t leave his people

14:01 EAT: At the Kisubi junction to the seminary, the convoy is thrown off the road. There is speculation that some foreign guests invited for the ceremony are going back to their countries. Military in full swing.

13:50 EAT: Daily Monitor reporter Phillipa Cromme reports: Dr Besigye says on phone from his car that he feels strong because he is with his people who are demonstrating for their rights. DP president Norbert Mao also says this is the kind of government which we have always wanted and “We are going straight to Nsambya grounds.”

13:35 EAT: Still at Kisubi, convoy moving slowly, beatings of the people by soldiers continue as people throw stones at them in retaliation. The army has started firing in the air and crowds dash for dear life. Police starts using blue teargas colouring almost all the people in the crowd.

13:18 EAT: Winnie gets out of the car, refuses to put the injured man on the ambulance for fear he will be killed because it is a police ambulance. The injured man Yusuf Kavuma is a journalist with Sky Magazine he was taking a photo of a military guy beating the crowds and his head was hit and he started bleeding.

13:17 EAT: It has attracted attention of the crowds ahead and they are coming back to see what happens.

13:15 EAT Thousands of supporters, Fire brigade vehicles also in the middle of the convoy.

13:10 EAT: Kisubi military starts beating people who are standing on the road sides and people react by throwing stones.

13:03 EAT: One injured man, DP President Mao, MP Elijah Okupa helping him onto the police ambulance. He has been hit on the head and is bleeding profusely. Mao’s shirt full of blood. The army and military have reinforced and come in plenty.

12:57 EAT: Military attempts to divert the convoy at Kitala to take some panya roads to town but Dr Besigye resisted and it continued moving but a very slow pace. Many army trucks with SFG soldiers are moving very close to Besigye in their cars. Crowds have reduced and many stuck on the roads sides watching.

11:30 EAT: Still at Abayita ababiri crowds have become much more and almost 20 vehicles of military, regular, anti-riot, teargas and army have broken into the convoy making it stuck.

11:04 EAT: At Abayita ababiri convoy takes more than 30minutes yet it is less than a km from Kitubulu. Crowds keep growing and cars from Kampala are stuck on the road and for those with a flight to take, they could be stuck.

11:04 EAT: At Kitubulu Police starts caning each and everyone and the numbers have reduced. Besigye has stopped to find out what is happening to his people. The number of walkers had reduced. Military police got tree branches and decided to beat whoever was following.

10:53 EAT: Military police mounts 2 road blocks one at the UN base and the second at Kitubulu centre where more crowds are waiting for the opposition leader.

10:47 EAT: At the Total and Shell petrol stations, there are over 500 people following him and the crowds keep growing, by-standers are also so many. People have made two lanes in the road and police is trying to force them into one lane.

10:38 EAT: At Muzinga trading center, police tries to block the masses but they have now grown. A group ahead of Besigye car is carrying a banner with words; “Entebbe municipality welcomes back Dr Besigye” and they are making Police work very difficult. He is dressed with a blue Scarf inscribed ‘walk to walk’.

10:30 EAT: Besigye convoy of only three vehicles reach Kitoro trading center where people have waited behind buildings after being chased by police. They follow, shouting praises to him, making his travel at a snail speed.

People keep swelling in numbers at each moment. And as he approaches state house, anti-riot police, fully dressed is very heavy and they are dispersing people who won’t relent. Dr Besigye, waiving at his people, is being driven in blue surf UAJ O54B.

10:20 EAT: Only five journalists from NTV, Radio One, New Vision, NBS and Red Pepper have been allowed into the Entebbe Airport VIP lounge where Dr Kizza Besigye is still negotiating with security officials to allow him address a press conference. Assistant Inspector General of Police Asan Kasingye read out a list of the media houses, excluding Daily Monitor, which would be allowed into the lounge. FDC officials Maj. Gen Mugisha Muntu, Bugweri MP Abdu Katuntu, Chapaa Karuhanga, Bukhooli Central MP-elect Wafula Oguttu, Kitgum Woman MP Beatrice Anywar, Mbale Municipality MP Wamai Wamanga and Joyce Ssebugwawo are inside the lounge.

Meanwhile, a number of other party officials have also been refused access to the airport and are waiting with supporters in Kitooro area of Entebbe.

Our reporters say police and soldiers are beating and chasing away people who wanted to welcome Dr Besigye from the Entebbe-Highway.

10:00 EAT: Forum for Democratic Change president, Dr Kizza Besigye, has arrived in the country aboard a Kenya Airways which landed at Entebbe Airport shortly before 9.30 a.m., bringing an end to a fiasco lasting more than 24 hours when the airline yesterday offloaded him from its early morning flight. Riot and regular police backed by soldiers are crawling all over the airport. Daily Monitor reporters in the arrivals section report that even on the steps leading up to the VIP lounge, police have posted men. Two police escort vehicles are waiting on the tarmac to escort the opposition leader to Kampala.

WEDNESDAY 11th 2011

19: 00 EAT: Kenya Airways flight KQ 414 has left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, at 1750hrs without opposition leader Dr Kizza Besigye. He had been re-scheduled to come aboard this flight following this morning’s dramatic events which saw the airline offload him from the early morning flight on the grounds that they had intelligence the plane would not be allowed to land at Entebbe, Uganda with him on board.