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We’re not about to stop our mobilization, NUP says
NUP party president Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine moves through Arua City on September 13, 2023. PHOTO/HANDOUT
What you need to know:
- Authorities warned that an existing police act would be used to safeguard Uganda.
- But on its platforms, NUP has hinted that their next mobilization phase particularly targets the central region.
The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party has said it will carry on with its planned rallies amidst fresh police ban on their activities issued Wednesday.
On Wednesday, police accused opposition leader and NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi of using “sectarian remarks and leading cause to remove President Museveni’s legitimate government.”
“[Today] Arua has concluded phase one of our NUP country wide tour in a massive way. No wonder, the regime is in panic and trying to stop our engagements,” NUP spokesperson Joel Ssenyonyi said of their heightened activities which started on August 28.
Announcing Wednesday’s directive by Deputy Inspector General of Police Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigaazi- on behalf of police chief Martins Okoth Ochola, the Force’s spokesperson Fred Enanga said:
“The mobilization activities were used to incite violence, promote sectarianism, and issuance of defamatory statements against the person of the President."
Enanga also revealed security plans to “to put an end to the mob mentality, bullying and intimidating tactics of NUP radicals against civilians and law enforcers.”
But on microblogging app X, which was formally Twitter, Ssenyonyi responded saying “very soon, we're going to unveil our schedule for phase two of our tour. We're not about to stop!!”
On its communication platforms, NUP Wednesday evening hinted that their next mobilization phase particularly targets the central region, an opposition stronghold.
“The people are speaking one language in all these regions [visited]; they want change,” NUP emphasized.
At the time of ending the first phase of his tours, Kyagulanyi had covered at least 12 key districts from separate major regions in Uganda, attracting crowds that sparked debate on social and mainstream media.
“We’ve noticed that in all areas where NUP mobilization activities have been carried out, there has been total breaches of the guidelines thus causing public disorder, loss of business, unnecessary jam and vandalization, loss of lives where Norman Mugisa died and 10 others were injured in a NUP convoy in Hoima,” Enanga highlighted earlier, before warning that an existing police act would be used to safeguard Uganda.
