Security agent smashing the window of Dr. Besigye's car moments before his violent arrest. (photo: Edward Echwalu)

Yesterday’s violent arrest of opposition politician Dr. Kizza Besigye (pics here) has brought overwhelming condemnation from all corners of Uganda. Comments throughout Facebook and Twitter express outrage that any Ugandan would be treated in such a manner.

President Museveni has been talking about how Uganda’s liberalized economy has led to the high food and fuel prices and that there is nothing he can do about them.

But the country also hosts a liberalized media sector and citizenry. Tens of journalists surrounded Besigye’s car at the moment the security agent smashed the window. Police and security agents did not do anything to stop the media from documenting the event.

Radio, Internet and TV reports were broadcasted the rest of the day with the worst images (NTV Uganda) being played over and over again. And presenters also editorialized, openly criticizing the actions of the police.

Twitter users were especially angry at the events:

@brentaka: This is the peace and stability that I voted for in February. How Ironic. Wasted vote.”

@kasujja: Every single #Ugandan owes it to their motherland to rise up and defeat the madness we witnessed yesterday.. #UgandaWalks #Walk2Work

@pjkanywa Tolerance to dissent is a deal breaker one could argue it is a necessary basic requirement 4 democracy to flourish. #ugandawalks #walk2work

On Facebook, a much more popular website than Twitter with over 250,000 users, the anger was evident:

I’ve never denied my support for the NRM gov’t and often time i’ve defended its actions, even the most outrageous. But, as the current events unfold, especially the latest treatment of the Doc, am finding ever more difficult to justify the actions of the state. Even in this world of extremes that we live, the scenes I saw were beyond comprehension. – NRM supporter on the Idealogue group page.

This video of Besigye’s brutal 4th arrest looks so bad to the rest of the world that I wonder whether Museveni’s lost control of his own agents. They broke the window of Besigye’s car and sprayed a can of tear gas straight into his face.

There were reports that the government was looking into shutting down access to Twitter and Facebook but it is clear that the government does not have the technology to do so and would be dependent on the ISPs. Releases from the ISPs said that they would not block access to any sites.

Also there is supposedly a ban on live reporting from areas of unrest.

Ugandans should be proud of their media and brave media practitioners during this time of unrest. I sure am.