Ugandan General Criticizes President, Gets Charged with Insubordination

By Cheri Cheng - 02 Feb '16 15:02PM

A general in Uganda has been arrested and charged in a court-martial for speaking out against the longtime President Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking to extend his control over the country.

The lawyer for Gen. David Sejusa said that Sejusa, 61, has been sent to Luzira maximum-security prison, which is located in the outskirts of Kampala. According to one of his lawyers, Ladislas Rwakafuzi, reported by Reuters, the General was charged "with being absent from the army without official leave and participating in politics in violation of army laws" and insubordination.

The Independent reported, "In the first count, the court heard that, in April 2013 after Sejusa was granted leave of absence for three weeks by the Speaker of Parliament, he did not return after the leave ended. In the second count of participating in political parties, court heard that on November 22, 2015 while at Democratic Party (DP) offices on Luwum Street, Sejusa attended a political party event in which he canvassed for support."

"He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and was remanded. He will be brought back to court on," Rwakafuzi said.

The court date is scheduled for Feb. 9, a little more than a week from the Feb. 18 election date.

Museveni, who has been president for 30 years, faces his toughest opponents yet in Kizza Besigye and former ally Amama Mbabazi. Since Museveni's run to extend his presidency, many human rights organizations have accused his government of using intimidation tactics to try to win the election. The government has denied all of these accusations.

Supporters of the General believe that his arrest benefits Museveni, who might have been worried that Sejusa was going to rally people against him.

Sejusa has a history of being opposed to Museveni. In 2013, he alleged that the government had tried to murder officials who were opposed to the President's wishes to hand over his power to his son, Kainerugaba Muhoozi.

At the time, Sejusa had fled the country but returned in 2014.