Police used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse people who had gathered in Kasese town on Monday afternoon to welcome Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party president, Patrick Oboi Amuriat and the former FDC presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye.
The duo is part of an FDC party drive around the country to mobilise support ahead of the 2021 general elections. FDC announced this national drive to drum support for the party, register new members and connect with its party members.
Shortly after the meeting at Rwenzori International hotel in Kasese town, Besigye and Amuriat moved through Kasese town waving to residents amidst ululations. Some of the residents chanted Adam Mulwana’s pro-Besigye song, “Toka kwa Barabara” and followed the vehicles of the FDC officials in what turned into a procession.
As the number of FDC supporters surged, police fired teargas and live bullets to disperse the crowds. The supporters fought back and pelted the officers with stones prompting them to open the road but kept Besigye and Amuriat’s cars in the middle.
They then escorted Besigye and Amuriat towards Fort Portal-Kasese road to an unknown destination. The Bukonzo East legislator, Harold Tonny Muhindo, derided police for what he called unprofessional conduct in public affairs management.
Muhindo, who also doubles as deputy opposition chief whip in parliament, said there was no need for police to use bullets and teargas against people who were jubilating and celebrating the arrival of their leaders. Muhindo accused the security agency of misusing the contentious Public Order Management Act (POMA).
“As the leaders from the opposition, we have put government to task to make sure that the security forces do not misinterpret and misuse the legal mandate that is provided in the Public Order Management Act. We’re already pushing to ensure that this law gets some amendments that will bring freedoms of leaders, freedoms of the people to assemble.” Muhindo said.
The FDC national drive has repeatedly been interrupted in Jinja, Mbale, Bushenyi, Mbarara, Kitgum and now Kasese. Police insist that FDC has not sought permission to hold these public gatherings as stipulated under the Public Order Management Act (POMA).
Amuriat has accused the police of targeting opposition politicians while enforcing POMA.
Besigye expressed similar sentiments after the confrontation in Kasese tweeting, “Increasingly desperate: NRM/M7 Junta deployed Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AVFs) today to deal with our unarmed presence in Kasese town! It was after stopping a planned public meeting. On 19th Apr, Mr M7 addressed rallies in Kasese.”
