Security seems to have enabled Henry Tumukunde launch his election bid for the presidency, but then it also seems the “old rat” instigated his arrest. He was basically begging to be arrested and that’s why he went on TV and Radio and made some clearly treasonous statements.
The Anti-Terrorism Act 2002 contains a definition of terrorism and generally has sweeping provisions, for example, the possession of unlicensed firearms is tantamount to terrorism and once prosecution proves possession, the burden of proof of innocence shifts to the defendant.
So why is Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukende being charged with treason?
First, because Tumukunde said that he will be “using 1000 tactics in their mobilizations ahead of the 2021 elections” and that he will employ the ‘same underground methods, similar to those Burundi’s Major Pierre Buyoya used to come to power there’.
Tumukunde actually relishes the exploits of Maj. Pierre Buyoya and this is the same Buyoya who led two coup d’états both of which were violent and destabilizing.
After relating his love for Coup-instigators, Tumukunde went ahead to tacitly inform President Kagame, that he was eager for his help in ousting Uganda’s head of state.
Any security agency would be concerned at the very least and the law enforcement agencies like Police would seek warrants to search the homes and offices of whoever makes such utterances moreover on mass media.
The last reason Lt. Gen. Tumukunde is being questioned by the Police is because of statements like “I have seen Mobutu SeseSeko of Zaire and Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir of Sudan going and Ugandans should not think that these things are impossible things”.
Tumukunde comparing Mobutu or Bashir to Museveni is a bit lame, because in Zaire or Sudan, the participation of the masses in their politics was heavily curtailed.
In fact unlike Uganda where one finds the likes of Besigye and Bobi Wine who are fond of organizing riots and acts of defiance, unlike their African counterparts.
People like Tumukunde conveniently forget the circumstances that brought about the downfall of say, Bashir or Mubarak. Those circumstances are not here in Uganda.
People like Tumukunde would love the ‘Democracy by the Mob’ that gave the world the Arab Spring, and any reading of the laws concerning treason will find reason to have Tumukunde charged with “Misprision of treason” because whether implicitly or just unawares, he is instigating a violent overthrow of the State and that’s never good for any nation.
