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Maj. (Rtd.) Ronald Iduli was arrested for defaulting on rent for 10 months and allegedly threatening to assault his landlady, Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, the Director of Defence Public Information, revealed.
Brig. Gen. Kulayigye made these remarks while refuting claims that Iduli had been abducted.
Brig. Gen. Kulayigye referred to a police statement issued by SP Patrick Onyango, the Public Relations Officer of Kampala Metropolitan Police, and criticised the Uganda Law Society (ULS) for what he described as unprofessional conduct in reporting the alleged abduction.
"The UPDF is appalled by the level of unseriousness exhibited in the Uganda Law Society’s letter, which alleged that one of Dr Col (Rtd) Besigye’s lawyers had been abducted," Brig. Gen. Kulayigye stated.
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"It would have been prudent for the author of the letter to conduct thorough investigations before putting pen to paper. We respect the legal profession, as we do all noble professions, and we expect them to operate with objectivity."
In a statement dated December 10, Isaac Ssemakade, the President of the Uganda Law Society, claimed that Iduli had been abducted.
"The Uganda Law Society (ULS) strongly condemns the abduction of Retired Major Ronald Iduli, a prominent lawyer and member of our Society. Ronald was representing Dr Kizza Besigye, a renowned opposition leader, and Hajji Obed Kamulegeya, both of whom were scheduled to appear before the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) General Court Martial in Makindye, Kampala City, this morning," Ssemakade wrote.
"The brazen invasion of Ronald’s home in Bulenga, Wakiso District, at 4:00 am today is a blatant attempt to intimidate and silence our member and, by extension, the entire legal profession. We will not be cowed!
"We demand that the authorities take immediate action to ensure Ronald’s safe release and to bring the perpetrators to justice. We call upon the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the UPDF authorities, in particular, to investigate this matter thoroughly and provide a detailed report."
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However, in a statement issued on the afternoon of December 10, the Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, clarified that police in Wakiso had received a report from 44-year-old Lydia Kirabira, a nurse and resident of Kireka-Bbira village, claiming that one of her tenants had threatened violence.
“According to the complainant, the suspect, identified as Ronald Iduli, 50, a lawyer, had been renting a house from her for three years but had defaulted on rent payments for the past 10 months. Recently, the suspect began appearing in UPDF uniform, threatening the landlord, which raised her suspicions,” Onyango explained.
He noted that a joint operation by police and UPDF officers resulted in Iduli’s arrest. A search of his home led to the recovery of several items, including a pair of UPDF digital uniforms, a Handbook of the Law of War for Armed Forces, a certificate of discharge from the UPDF dated 2016, and a pen labelled “People’s Front for Freedom.”
Onyango confirmed that the suspect is currently detained at Bulenga Police Station, and inquiries are ongoing.