Novelist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija indeed was the winner of his year's Pen Pinter Prize's International writer of courage award for he sure is a tough nut to crack. Kakwenza has constantly faced many arrests due to the criticisms he keeps hurling towards the ruling family.
Kakwenza has lived his life in a series of prison cells, totured and pain but amidst all this, his courage always pulls him out of such tough situations. Most importantly, there are various groups of writers and individuals that are always willing to take his side and demand for his release every time he gets dragged away by police.
Ever since Kakwenza's recent arrest, the Poet's Association of Uganda has been unsettled and all writers and poets in this group have come out to show discontent with the arrest of their colleague. They have gone ahead to demand for his immediate release and all fake charges against him be dropped!
The president of the Uganda Poets Association Ronald Sekajja said this arrest was only meant to instill fear among writers and divert them from impacting change with their beautiful work. He went ahead to say that this only proves that the government was not willing to take criticism!
"If anyone thinks it comes up as abuse or an insult, then charges need to be placed and they take him to face the law. I think our biggest concern as the writing community is the manner in which he is arrested and no charges are placed yet he's been in detention." Mr Sekajja said.
Kakwenza's lawyer Eron Kiiza says ever since he was bundled into a drone which is commonly known for abduction of government opponents, no one has heard from him and even his own family has been denied any access to communicate with him.
The police spokes person Fred Enanga however said that Kakwenza was facing charges of offensive communication under the computer misuse act!
