The Redpepper tabloid front-page with the bogus “story” allegedly about NUP’s criminal plot to burn down Kampala
[View From Uganda]
Gen. Yoweri Museveni’s regime, in a desperate attempt to spin the conversation away from the disastrous attack by soldiers yesterday on journalists right outside the United Nations offices in Kampala, splashed on the front-page of the Redpepper tabloid photos of alleged National Unity Platform (NUP) members who are plotting to burn down the capital.
The so-called criminal plot is allegedly part of NUP’s “plan B” to protest the alleged rigged election that deprived Robert Kyagulanyi, a.k.a. Bobi Wine, victory in the bloody Jan. 14 presidential election. NUP is the political party led by Bobi Wine.
The only problem is that the Museveni regime’s dirty tricks department made a big mistake and poured water on Redpepper, taking away the burn. One of the alleged members of the NUP plotters whose photo appears on the front page of the Redpepper “story” is a known convicted criminal named John Bosco Mugisha, a.k.a. Mukiga. Last year, Uganda Police identified at least five victims of what was known as the “Kabadia” criminal gang whose two members were captured on close circuit television ( CCTV) footage on June 30, taking part in the gruesome killing of Derrick Muwonge, a boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) operator.
At the time, Police arrested Mukiga, who allegedly hit the victim Muwonge with a claw hammer, killing him instantly. However if you look at lower right hand quadrant on the bottom of the Redpepper’s front-page “story”, you will see that the same Mukiga’s photograph appears, as one of the alleged NUP would-be terrorists. Museveni’s disinformation department has been exposed. Presumably the photos of the other 10 people whose photos appear on the Redpepper’s front-page are also known criminals in prison on various charges.
See the video and photo of Mukiga from last year also displayed in this article and from news report last year.
At the time of the gruesome murder of Muwonge last year, Bobi Wine even appreciated and thanked the Uganda police for arresting Mukiga and he called for more money and resources for the police. Now today the Museveni regime in a desperate scheme wants to pin the same criminal on NUP.
Now don’t be surprised if these criminals are fed with regime propaganda to claim they have been recruited while in prison, or perhaps they now work for Museveni’s intelligence services. This regime is capable of anything out of desperation.
The international community yesterday widely condemned the attack on journalists outside the United Nations offices. Bobi Wine had gone to file a petition at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) documenting the human rights abuses, including alleged abductions and torture of hundreds of NUP supporters. Journalists who had accompanied Bobi Wine to cover the filing were viciously attacked by soldiers and police and many were taken to hospital for treatment of injuries sustained.
This is to feed the false narrative of “terrorism” being allegedly orchestrated by the opposition which the Museveni regime has cooked up in order to crush any legitimate challenge to the rigged election.
The journalists assaulted outside the UN offices were brutalized by security forces allegedly led by the Special Forces Command which is commanded by Gen. Museveni’s son, Gen. Muhoozi Kaenerugaba. The full list of those beaten are: Wamala John Cliff; Timothy Murungi; Irene Abalo; Thomas Kitimbo; Sabiti Joseph; Josephine Namakumbi; and, Mugonza Andrew, among others.
The columnist Philip Matogo can be reached via [email protected]
The Redpepper front-page with Mukiga on right hand lower corner bottom and below Mukiga from news accounts last year.
