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17 Tumukunde election coordinators charged
What you need to know:
- Mr Kijjambu instead described the arrest as the “endless political persecution” of opponents of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
Police rely on the Public Order Management Act (POMA) to disperse the Opposition public meetings.
After spending six days in police detention, 17 coordinators of presidential aspirant Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde were yesterday arraigned in a Wakiso Court and formally charged with doing an act likely to spread infection of a disease.
The members of Lt Gen Tumukunde’s political pressure group ‘Renew Uganda’ denied the charges.
They are Mr Frank Kigozi, a mechanic; Mr Mathias Kato Mawejje, a businessman; Mr Gabira Gonzaga, a teacher; Mr Ivan Kazibwe, a systems administrator; Mr Robert Birungi; a teacher; Mr Lawrence Ssempa Ssebuuma, a mechanic; Tophar Nalikiriza, a matron, and Ms Sylvia Kickyankya, self-employed.
Others are: Ms Gorreti Batenga, a businesswoman; Mr Musa Ssenyonga, a salon attendant; Mr Ashraf Ssendegeya, a barber; Mr Ivan Kayondo, a teacher; Mr Stephen Ankunda, a businessman and Ms Nanfuka Namusisi, a businesswoman.
By press time, court was still listening to their bail application.
Prosecution alleges that the group on August 13 in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, knowingly or having reason to believe that it was likely to spread the infection of a disease dangerous to life, unlawfully and negligently gathered in a meeting.
The arrest
They were arrested a day after Gen Tumukunde launched his pressure group for the 2021 elections.
Upon their arrest, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Onyango said Gen Tumukunde’s coordinators violated the guidelines for control of Covid-19.
“We got a tip that a group of people were holding a meeting that was likely to lead to the spread of an infectious disease. A team was sent there and found a group of people seated without respecting social distancing and they were not wearing masks. They were arrested and have been detained at Nansana Police Station,” Mr Onyango said last Friday.
However, Mr Labson Kijjambu, the coordinator for Gen Tumukunde’s platform in Wakiso, dismissed the police claims.
Mr Kijjambu instead described the arrest as the “endless political persecution” of opponents of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
Police rely on the Public Order Management Act (POMA) to disperse the Opposition public meetings.
In March, the Constitutional Court struck down Section 8 of the same act that gave police powers to stop and disperse public gatherings.
