Five Tororo leaders arrested over unlawful demonstration

Police in Tororo have arrested Western Division LC3 chairperson Al-Jamal Manyadi over allegedly staging an unlawful demonstration.

Manyadi and four councilors including Magret Manano, Salim Safi, Patrick Bwire and a one Alex Mandakwe were arrested as they protested at the gate of the Tororo Municipal Council offices on Monday morning.

The suspects were reportedly expressing their dissatisfaction on the poor status of roads in the division when they were rounded up during a joint operation involving the police and UPDF.

 At the time of the arrest, the suspects were carrying placards that read: “We want good roads because Western Division is also part of Tororo Municipality that should receive services like Eastern division.’’

Prior to their arrest, the leaders accused the mother council of neglecting to roads despite consistent disbursement of money from Uganda Road Fund.

However, police rubbished their claims amid suspicion that they might have been part of the Uganda Freedom Activists who had announced a nationwide demonstration for Monday.

Bukedi South regional police spokesperson Moses Mugwe said the chairperson was heard mobilizing the public to demonstrate through one of the local radio stations.

“We condemn acts of unlawful demonstration and we are going to charge the suspects over common nuisance,” he remarked.

Tororo Municipal Mayor Kenneth Orono Nyapidi dismissed claims that the mother Council had neglected road works in the Western Division.

‘’The leaders were right to hold a demonstration but they would have not gone to that extent because we had started working on the roads but the efforts were frustrated by the heavy rains and we are still determined to resume work after the rains have subsidized,’’ the mayor observed.

He further “blamed the leaders for acting unlawfully” and asked the police “to handle the case up to its logical conclusion because they seem to have a hidden motive.”