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Kabaziguruka: MP fighting off treason charges, poor health
Nakawa Division MP Michael Kabaziguruka (in stripped shirt) with other suspects in the dock at General Court Martial in Makindye last year. PHOTO BY MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
KAMPALA- “I have a task assigned by the people of Nakawa Division and I will complete it in whatever little time remaining. I will not let them down because at no time will my faith in God be wanting,” says MP Michael Kabaziguruka, who we found in an upbeat mood at his home in Luzira, a suburb of Kampala on the shores of Lake Victoria as he recounts his one year and three months in the 11th Parliament.
Mr Kabaziguruka, a strong opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) activist, was elected to Parliament on February 18, 2016, defeating the then Deputy Attorney General Fredrick Ruhindi and six other contenders for the seat.
But he has hardly enjoyed the pomp and pageantry of parliamentary life as his life has been between in and out of prison, battling alleged criminal actions, illnesses and a fatal accident that has confined him to a stretcher.
His celebration of parliamentary poll victory was short-lived as he was soon placed under house arrest by the police.
He was part of the FDC party members that announced a defiance campaign following the rejection of the February 16, presidential results by FDC party flag bearer Dr Kizza Besigye.
“After successful campaigns, it was my time to prepare for swearing in at Parliament but it was not to come as easily as the police quickly put me under house arrest. This was after we declared a defiance campaign, including weekly prayers at our party headquarters,” he recalls.
Lying on his back on a mobile stretcher at the balcony of his house as he recovers from a debilitating accident, the fearless political activist, recalls that on May 15, 2016, one day from his swearing in, police officers who had camped around his home said he would be allowed to go for the ceremony but under restrictions.
“After surrounding my home for a long time, on the afternoon of May 15, a police officer came to me saying I should go and buy a coat for my swearing-in the next day. They afterwards escorted me to and from Parliament for my swearing-in, allowing five of us in one car.”
Arrest
Until June 8, Mr Kabaziguruka would enjoy his freedom of movement before being arrested following a search of his house. He had managed to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago and participating in the formation of the Kampala Parliamentary Caucus to which he became general secretary.
It was on June 8, at 9am that he was arrested by a superintendent of Police who he only identified as Bogere and whisked off to the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) at Kireka on the outskirts of Kampala, for interrogation about links with Gen David Ssejusa, who was facing charges in the Army’s General Court Martial.
“After arriving at my home at around 2am, I allowed them in at 9am to search my house although they had no search order from court. They took away my laptops, cameras and documents that included minutes of a meeting we held with the Lord Mayor as Kampala Parliamentary Caucus”.
“When we arrived at the SIU, I was locked in a tinted police van until 8pm when I was detained in the cells. That night, I went through a hell of things, including being forced to record a statement of their own wish. It is at this point that I told them to write what they wanted and I would sign. This is what was done before I was taken back to the cells,” Mr Kabaziguruka relives the ordeal as he rests his head on the left arm.
Despite being allowed to return home after securing police bond with the help of Ms Winred Kiiza, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr Kabaziguruka would later be taken to a high security detention facility at Nalufenya on the banks of River Nile in Jinja District to record another statement.
While there, Mr Kabaziguruka says he was asked to incriminate Gen Ssejusa on treason but refused because he had hardly known him personally.
Life in prison
On June 28, after being charged with offences related to security, and treachery in the General Court Martial at Makindye, the legislator was remanded to Kigo prison in Wakiso District.
He was admitted to the prison’s sick bay because he got asthma on arrival. He was to spend nearly four months there until he secured bail in the Criminal Division of the High Court in Kampala on October 20. “I stayed in the sick bay until my bail was granted and returned home. Some of my voters who were able to transport themselves to Kigo were able to visit me together with my colleagues in Parliament.”
Life in Parliament
While his colleagues undertook a series of activities, including induction, the Nakawa representative only returned from prison when there was a lot of committee work. He sits on the presidential affairs committee, and the parliamentary Rules and Privileges Committee.
When Parliament went into recess during Christmas, Mr Kabaziguruka had only attended a few plenary sessions as he continued with legal battles challenging the jurisdiction of the army court to try him and later on a petitioning in the Constitutional Court concerning the courts constitutionality to try him.
March was another month of trouble as Mr Kabaziguruka developed complications in his left knee, hence keeping him away from Parliament again.
“I attended committee meetings in November and December before we went into recess. In March, after resuming and attending a few plenary sessions, I developed pain in this (touches left knee). My mobility was curtailed. This was a bad time for me because I thought I would concentrate on legislation since the courts had gone quiet on my case.”
Debilitating accident
Sunday July 30, will remain etched in Mr Kabaziguruka’s memory as the time God gave him another chance to live. He was involved in a draining accident at Lugogo when a speeding vehicle rammed into his newly acquired ambulance. Because he had not yet handed over the ambulance to his constituents and possibly hired a driver, he decided to drive it alongside his political assistant Mr Phillip Cula. With sirens and headlamps on, they never fulfilled the mission.
“I decided to drive the ambulance myself to save life since its class suits my valid driving licence. Despite having the sirens and headlamps on, someone rammed into us injuring me severely and damaging the vehicle,” he says.
“I was rushed to Kampala Hospital where doctors operated on my leg to fix metals on the multiple fractures on the right femur bone. I stayed in hospital for 19 nights and returned home. Doctors say it will take two to three months before I can be able to walk without support and three to four years to remove the metals,” Mr Kabaziguruka adds.
A year of misfortune
Speaking through pain, Mr Kabaziguruka described his one year in Parliament as “a catalogue of misfortunes” that have not allowed him to make meaningful contributions to the plenary sessions of Parliament as he had planned.
“While my colleagues were oriented, I was in prison. Upon return, I was diagnosed with diabetes and later on the knee disease. While Parliament is facing a test with plans by government to steal private land forcefully and also the madness of removing presidential age limit, I am condemned to this bed with a broken leg,” he said.
Comparing himself to the biblical man Job, who faced a lot of trials and overcame them, Mr Kabaziguruka says he has unwavering faith that God will make it possible for him to return to the House and contribute to the nation through plenary and committees. Without relating his troubles to any spiritual powers, the legislature says he has managed to accomplish some of the pledges he made during campaigns in regard to the development of his constituency.
Mr Kabaziguruka has procured an ambulance while another is on order from Japan using the MP’s cash meant for his personal car.
He has also procured a public address system to support social functions, supplied sporting materials to teams in Nakawa, and is working on a modern watering well for the residents of Mutungo as well as organising business management training for women and youth groups.
Constitutional amendment
Mr Kabaziguruka says he is not in support of the proposed amendment of Article 26, of the Constitution that would give government powers to use private land for development purposes and then pay later.
He is also opposed to the mooted Private Members Bill seeking leave of Parliament to debate on lifting the presidential age limit clause.
