By Carolyn Abdenour
Impunity Watch Reporter, Africa
KAMPALA, Uganda – On Saturday, 17 September, Ugandan security operatives arrested Vincent Nzaramba., author of People Power — Battle the Night General. Since his arrest, police have held Nzaramba incommunicado. The Ugandan police suspect this book criticizes the longstanding President Yoweri Museveni and his party along with predicting the removal of Museveni by a popular uprising. Police officer Ronald Ogen stated they arrested Nzaramba because they fear the book will incite the public.
Uganda’s constitution limits the police to hold a person for no more than 48 hours, but Ogen said there are exceptions to the rule. Nzaramba currently remains in detention. Gloria, Nzaramba’s wife, stated the police confiscated his laptop and about 200 copies of the book when they arrested Nzaramba. Although Nazaramba has not released his book to the public when the police confiscated all the copies, Twitter posted sections of the book.
On Tuesday after she initiated a public campaign for his release, Gloria visited Nzaramba at his detention cell at the Rapid Response Unit (“RRU”) in Kampala. She stated “I spoke to him today but he’s badly beaten and he said he no longer feels safe at RRU and will not eat until they release him or take him to court.”
Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba said, “We have him and we are investigating him for inciting violence. Our investigators are analysing the content of the publication and we will be advised on other charges.” Although she did not provide a reason for Nzaramba’s detention, she submitted a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. She also did not respond to the torture allegations someone via text message asked about. Rights groups such as the government-funded Uganda Human Rights Commission have accused the RRU of torturing detainees in order to extract confessions.
Uganda elected Museveni into power in 1986. However, several of the anti-government protests in sub-Saharan Africa targeted Museveni. Since February, Nzaramba has been a candidate for the general elections under the ruling party.
Last October, the government seized 500 copies critical of Museveni written by the sister of Museveni’s political opponent. In April, Ugandans protested the rise of cost of living prices. During these protests, at least ten people died, and the police arrested hundreds of others in their efforts to crackdown on the protests. The protests took place just two months after Museveni’s reelection with 68% of the vote.
Nzaramba’s book outlines three options for Ugandans to remove Museveni: “With the blocked constitutional means of transfer of power, Uganda is likely to experience a coup d’etat, a civil war or a non-violent revolution.” The book specifies that the social change could come “any time from today.”
For further information, please see:
Daily Monitor – Writer Arrested Over Anti-Museveni Book – 21 September 2011
IOL News – Author Arrested by Ugandan Police – 21 September 2011
Reuters Africa – Uganda Detains Author of Book Critical of Museveni – 20 September 2011
Washington Post – Uganda Police Arrest Writer; Wife Says He Criticized Longtime President in New Book – 20 September 2011
