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Police put brakes on Bobi Wine rallies
NUP leader, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, waves at locals at Karugutu Trading Center in Ntoroko District on July 15, 2024. PHOTO | ALEX ASHABA
What you need to know:
- In May, police blocked the former presidential candidate from crossing to Kayunga District. In the same month, police in Busoga North blocked a consultative meeting organised by Mr Kyagulanyi in Kamuli District.
Police on Monday blocked another planned rally organised by the National Unity Platform (NUP) party president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, aka, Bobi Wine, at the Boma Grounds of Bundibugyo District, citing prescheduled activities at the same venue.
Mr Kyagulanyi, accompanied by party general secretary Lewis Rubongoya, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Joel Ssenyonyi, party mobiliser Fred Nyanzi, and other party dignitaries, arrived in Bundibugyo Town at 1pm to address their supporters.
Upon arrival, they were greeted by a joint security deployment by UPDF and Police, which had sealed off access to the grounds at the heart of the town.
Security officials only permitted Mr Kyagulanyi and his team to commission their party offices in the town.
Mr Kyagulanyi briefly addressed some of his supporters. He stated that the government has failed to establish a cocoa factory to add value to the region’s most cultivated crop.
“You are the biggest producers of cocoa in the whole country, but up to now, the government has failed to construct for you a cocoa processing factory for value addition. The money is instead swindled through rampant corruption,” he said.
The NUP leadership was later diverted to Kirumya Catholic Playground, which is about 5 kilometres away from the town to address their supporters.
“We will go to the radio station to address the public [and explain to people why we have been blocked at the boma ground],’’ Mr Ssenyonyi told this publication.
But SSP Joab Wabwire, who is the Rwenzori Regional Police Commander, said they could not permit two events at the same location.
“The district security committee resolved that [Kyagulanyi] meeting should take place in Kirumya. Additionally, the radio management [they claim has given them permission] has informed us that [they] should not go there either,’’ SSP Wabwire said.
In NUP’s defence, Mr Nyanzi showed this publication a receipt indicating that the party had paid Shs400,000 to the Bundibugyo Town Council to use the Boma Grounds and to have a radio talkshow thereafter at Development FM, also located in Bundibugyo.
Nup officials later addressed the media and expressed dissatisfaction over police actions.
“We have been engaging them deliberately, and [they] have been postponing our activities to ensure we meet all their conditions. Our team, led by the Leader of the Opposition and the secretary general, engaged them and they cleared our activity. But surprisingly, when we arrived [at the venue], they blocked us, and we could only open our offices,” Mr Kyagulanyi said.
When asked if they would proceed to other places like Ishaka and Bushenyi for their scheduled Tuesday meeting, Mr Kyagulanyi affirmed their commitment to the law, but expressed frustration over what he termed “illegal orders’’.
“The police are trying to provoke us to be violent, but we are not. We want the whole world to see that we are non-violent. Eventually, people will get tired of this humiliation and abuse of office by police officers,” he added.
“We are encouraging our people, especially the young generation, to emulate the youth of Kenya in their efforts to liberate their country. They should stand up and be counted.”
In May, police blocked the former presidential candidate from crossing to Kayunga District. In the same month, police in Busoga North blocked a consultative meeting organised by Mr Kyagulanyi in Kamuli District.
