BUSIA ,Opposition National Unity Platform(NUP) foot soldier and an aspiring Kampala Central Woman Lord Councillor, Ms Saudah Madaada, was on Tuesday evening intercepted at Busia border en route to Kenya .
Sources at Busia border say Ms Madaada, who is part of the NUP president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi’s private security team, was intercepted by Ugandan security operatives in plainclothes just after 6 pm as she tried to cross the border to Kenya en route to Nairobi.
One of the NUP officials in the district, Mr George Wafula, who was in the company of Ms Madaada at the time of her arrest, said she was intercepted by men driving in a Toyota Premio.
“Madaada had called me to help her go through the border immigration processes , but as we reached the last gate at the Uganda side, she was intercepted,” Mr Wafula said.
Mr Wafula said Ms Madaada had all the required travel documents and that after her arrest, she was taken to the Busia border police station and detained.
“We tried asking why Madaada was being arrested ,but the operatives remained tight-lipped,” Mr Wafula said.
Mr Serius Byran, a lawyer at the Busia border and some NUP officials, among them Phanice Akello, an aspiring Busia District Woman MP and Hussein Wabwire, a councillor at Busia municipality, visited her in detention.
“We feel her rights to freedom are being infringed on by this arbitrary arrest because until we know why she is arrested, we cannot begin processing for bond,” Mr Serius said.
This came moments after Mr David Lewis Rubongoya, the Secretary General of National Unity Platform (NUP) party had shared on his X that police wanted Madaada for a case filed at Wandegeya Police Station in Kampala City .
“We’ve been informed of the arrest of our sister Sauda Madaada by the police at Busia. When she inquired about why she was arrested, she was told that her file is at Wandegeya Police and that they will transfer her there,” he posted
Some security sources in Busia confirmed that Ms Madaada is wanted by the police at Wadegeya, Kampala in relation to a mock military parade a group of NUP supporters, commonly known as foot soldiers, held to honour Mr Kyagulanyi on his 43rd birthday on February 12 at their party offices.
Police and the army said the parade was illegal and have since arrested several members of Mr Kyagulanyi’s security team on charges of illegal drilling.
Mr Wabwire claimed that Mr Madaada’s arrest was a sign that the President Museveni-led National Resistance Movement (NRM) was scared of the opposition.
“The Museveni-led government has realised how increasingly unpopular they have become among Ugandans, that is why they are freezing freedoms of those who are opposed to their poor leadership,”Mr Wabwire said.
According to Ms Akello, no amount of intimidation will deter them from speaking against the misery the NRM government had subjected Ugandans to.
“We are here to say that we shall not be intimidated by these arrests. Any harassment by the regime makes us even stronger,” she said. It remains to be seen whether Madaada will be added on the file of NUP foot soldiers who are already incarcerated over the military-like parade that was conducted at NUP headquarters in February .