Police in Luweero town fired teargas to disperse supporters of National Unity Platform (NUP) party who gathered lined the Kampala-Gulu highway to cheer and wave at their presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine.
Kyagulanyi was heading to Arua district in northern Uganda ahead of the start of his campaigns that are scheduled to kick off tomorrow Tuesday in Pakwach, Nebbi, and end with Arua town on the first day.
On his way, hundreds of excited supporters gathered in Bombo, Wobulenzi, and Luwero towns along the road to wave at him. When Kyagulanyi reached Luweero town at around 4 pm, hundreds of his supporters filled the road, paralyzing transport for some time, forcing police to fire teargas to clear the way.
The supporters danced to Kyagulanyi’s music while others chanted the ‘People Power’ slogans. Jonathan Moses Kafeero, a candidate for Kalongo Miti parish councillor seat said that the supporters wanted to re-affirm their support to Kyagulanyi and send a signal to the ruling NRM presidential candidate Yoweri Kaguta Museveni that they are tired of his unprogressive rule. Kyagulanyi made no stopover in Luweero town but a clash ensued for over an hour as policemen commanded by Isaac Kushaba, the officer in-charge of operations at Luweero Central police engaged his supporters in running battles.
The angry NUP supporters then descended on posters of President Museveni, the NRM flagbearer and defaced some of them during a protest of what they called unfair treatment of their presidential candidate.
Chris Johns Buwembo, the NUP candidate for Luweero Town LC III chairperson seat says that the supporters destroyed the posters to express anger over police actions towards Kyagulanyi and NUP candidates citing violation of Covid-19 rules yet the left NRM candidates are left to campaign without any hindrance. Buwembo said he saw people literally ‘beating’ Museveni’s posters in anger after being teargassed by police. By the time of filing the story, police had arrested at least 10 NUP supporters who were transferred to Luweero Central police station.
According to the presidential campaign programme released by Electoral Commission, today NRM candidate Yoweri Museveni is the only one who was supposed to campaign in Luweero.
Museveni chose to hold closed-door meetings at his Presidential Demonstration farm located in Kawumu village in Makulubita sub-county. Museveni met NRM flagbearers, NRM incumbent MPs, and other party officials to ask them to mobilize for him support.
