The Kiboko Squad: Back in Time for Elections?
The Kiboko Squad is back? Daily Monitor.
Yesterday, a group of human rights activists said the government was relying on underground militias to intimidate demonstrations ahead of next year’s elections, The Citizen reported on Saturday.
According to opposition activists, the infamous Kiboko squad–which emerged in 2007 during the demonstrations against the sale of Mabira Forest, returned to the scene on June 9th to beat opposition activists at a protest against the Electoral Commission.
The demonstrators beaten included Forum for Democratic Change’s president Dr. Kizza Besigye. Opoosition coalition group Inter-Party Cooperation’s spokesperson says the Kiboko Squad has been directly deployed by the police.
Government officials, however, has denied links to the militia, and say the militia was formed to protect citizens from the chaos of opposition demonstrations.
The Inter-Party Cooperation hopes demonstrations will lead to the Electoral Commission’s head, Badru Kiggundu, stepping down, saying the Commission’s leadership is too politically biased to conduct fair elections. Kiggundu has said he will not resign, despite international and local pressure.
“I am never a quitter and I won’t quit, if they don’t like my face, sorry, that’s God’s work, I can’t change it,” Badru Kiggundu, chairman of the election commission, told Reuters. A significant amount of armed personnel have also been deployed to protect the Electoral Commission and block demonstrators.
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