Police Bans Bobi Wine’s Countrywide Rallies, NUP Defiant

Bobi Wine Stopped by Police

By Our Reporter

Though the Uganda police slapped a ban on National Unity Platform (NUP) on going mobilization rallies, NUP has warned that they will proceed with their detailed plans.

NUP spokesperson, Joel Ssenyonyi said they will proceed with their central Uganda planned tour in two weeks having successfully concluded the first part of the mobilization tour.

“We believe phase number two; number three and the others will be bigger and better. Soon we shall unveil the district we shall go to in the next phase,” Ssenyonyi said.

A statement by the deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Geoffrey Katsigazi Tumusiime indicated that Kyagulanyi and his NUP supporters had disregarded a number of guidelines provided to them by police.

“While we completely support the right of individuals, groups and other citizens to peacefully gather or assemble, and make their views on matters of public policy, we have noticed that, in all areas where the NUP mobilization activities have been carried out, there have been total breaches to the guidelines,” Maj Gen Katsigazi said.

“Wherever the meetings have happened, there has been public disorder, unnecessary traffic jams, loss of business, malicious damage to property, for instance in Mbarara City, their rowdy supporters vandalized a Toyota Hiace, under reg. no. UBD 251J, and traffic accidents, including a fatal one in Hoima City, on the 11.09.2023, where a one, Mugisa Norman died and 10 others got serious injuries, during the NUP convoy.”

Police accused Kyagulanyi of using the mobilization tour to “incite violence, promote sectarianism, make illegitimate calls for the removal of an elected government, and issuance of defamatory statements against the person of President Museveni.”

However, responding to the police statement, NUP spokesperson, Joel Ssenyonyi described the claims as scapegoats by government to curtail their activities but said they are not bothered.

“When we had just set out for this tour, they thought our supporters waned and unexpected to them, the numbers were big. Increasingly, they have seen the support continues to grow. They had to come up with an excuse,” Ssenyonyi said.

He admitted that through these tours, NUP seeks to have regime change but said they want it done through the legal means.

The NUP spokesperson said in two weeks’ time, they will resume the mobilization tour as they set eyes on central Uganda.