Prime
Special Forces cordon off Arua's Hotel Pacific
Security forces patrol a street in Arua on Monday evening. FILE PHOTO
The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) Special Forces have sealed off Hotel Pacific in Arua town, the base of the Kassiano Wadri campaign camp.
Adumi road, where the hotel is located has also reportedly been blocked by armed personnel. Business around the area is paralyzed.
The whereabouts of Kassiano Wadri, one of the candidates and Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi remain unknown following an evening of running battles between members of the Special Forces Command and members of the opposition.
Reports say some charged youth who were attending Kassiano Wadri’s final rally with Bobi Wine near Arua Government Prisons, threw a stone at President Museveni's vehicle as he was taken to board his chopper at Pokea Primary School after campaigning for Nusura Tiperu, the NRM candidate in the Arua Municipality Race.
President Museveni reportedly stopped after a stone landed on his vehicle, but stopped the armed escorts from firing at the charged youth who were attacking the president's convoy.
"After seeing the President off, the soldiers returned looking for Bobi Wine whom they accused of organizing the youth to pelt stones at the President's car. They followed Bobi Wine up to Pacific Hotel and shot the driver (Yasin Kawuma) thinking he was Bobi Wine," a source further added.
According to some of the witnesses of the chaotic incident, Bobi Wine and Wadri Kassiano were whisked off on boda bodas and up to now their whereabouts are unknown as the security personnel continue to hunt for them.
But information from the Police spokesperson Josephine Angucia indicates that the driver of Bobi Wine was shot by a stray bullet, she however declined to divulge any further details.
When this reporter visited the scene of the shooting this morning, the armed soldiers could not allow anyone to access the road. According to some sources, the body of Bobi Wine's driver who was reportedly shot in the vehicle as he parked in front of the hotel is still lying within the hotel.
