The republic of uganda in the supreme court of uganda at kampala

30. That on 19th February, 2001, while on my way from Bundibugyo, I received a telephone call from Hon. Okwir Rwaboni the Chairperson of our Youth and Students Committee, who informed me that his life was in danger, and that he had tried to seek protection from the U. S. Embassy unsuccessfully. I advised him that I was on my way to Kampala and that he should look for a place to stay safely until I would arrive in Kampala and we discuss the details.
31. 1 got to my home in Kampala at about 19.00 hours that evening and Hon. Okwir was at my home with his wife Solonge and Ms. Anne Mugisha. He narrated to me the story of how he had been for two days intimidated and even threatened with death by Major General David Tinyefuza and Lt. Colonel Noble Mayombo He informed me that on the morning of February, 2001, Lt. Col. Noble Mayombo, Acting Chief of Military Intelligence went to his house and took him to the International Conference Centre where he found other Senior Military Officers including Major General D. Tinyefuza, the Special Presidential Advisor and Col Kasirye Gwanga Campaign agent of lit Respondent in Mubende District and was told that for his own safety he had to sign a document to the effect that he had resigned from our task force and that we were getting funds from Countries hostile to Uganda.
32. He told me that he signed the document, after which he was taken to Nile Hotel for lunch where he was joined by his wife. He said that after lunch he requested to take a sick child to a clinic and then return to join the officers in Nile Hotel. He left with his wife and headed for the American Embassy to seek for protection because he left that his life was in danger following the threats he had been given and thereafter he actually signed the documents.
33. After discussing with Hon. Okwir, it was agreed that he should inform the public through the press about what had happened and that we should continue with our campaigns normally. We invited Pressmen and gave them his story. We decided that he should spend a night at my residence.
34. The following day on 20th February, 2001, I was scheduled to address a rally in Adjumani and Moyo Districts. I had planned to travel by a chartered Aircraft from Entebbe Airport at 09.30 hours together with some members of my Task Force including Hon. Okwir. We arrived at Entebbe VIP Lounge at 09.30 hours. As we proceeded to the Aircraft at about 10.00 hours, an official of the Airport informed us that the Aircraft had been refused clearance to take off, and that we should return to the lounge while the clearance problem was being sorted out.
35. As we arrived back in the lounge, an official of Civil Aviation named B. Monday came where I was seated with Hon. Okwir and others and informed him that he had instructions to take Hon. Okwir. Hon. Okwir told Mr. Manday that he could not go with him as he had no authority in law to do what he was trying to do. Mr. Monday left, but shortly afterwards, an officer from the known to me as Captain Rwakirate Moses came with some armed men who were putting on civilian clothes, and they instructed Hon. Okwir to get up and go with them. Hon. Okwir refused to comply informing them that they were not authorized under the law to arrest him.
36. About 15.00 hours, Col. Kasirye Gwanga arrived and at the same time a large group of armed soldiers arrived and forcefully arrested Hon. 0kwir and dumped him on a Pick-up truck and armed soldiers sat on his head, on his chest and on his legs. The vehicle drove off as other soldiers were kicking him.
37. I have since talked to him on telephone and listened to him speak on radio programmes where he has described what happened to him since the violent arrest at Entebbe. He told me that he was taken to offices of Military intelligence on Kikante Road and interrogated for eight hours. He was only asked questions about our campaigns and the statement he had made to the press the previous evening while at my home. He also informed me that President Museveni telephoned and talked to him while he was at the headquarters of Military Intelligence and asked him what led him to support me, and what he thought of the team I was within the campaigns.
38. That President Museveni then proposed to Hon. Okwir that he would offer a job to him at the Uganda High Commission in London and sponsor him to take further studies provided he cooperated and left my campaign immediately and continued to cooperate with him. Major Okwir informed me that he accepted this offer as a way to safety, and was then required to write a statement disassociating himself from my campaign team and reaffirming the earlier statement which he had signed at the International Conference Centre. He said he was taken to Parliament where he read out the statement then driven to his residence where he stayed under close guard while arrangements to move him and his wife to London were being finalized. He rang me while at his house to give me the above story, and I have also talked to him since his arrival in London.
39. That I verily believe Hon. Qkwir was particularly tortured by my opponents because Hon. Okwir was heading the Youth Task Force and it was well known that I enjoyed tremendous popular support among the youth and students countrywide.