The protests started at 3 p.m. in Ndikuttamada in Masajjja division and ended past 7:30 pm after police officers, military police officers and plain-clothed security personnel dispersed the crowds with tear gas and live bullets. Five protestors were arrested.
Tumukunde said he has suspended his Thursday campaign in order to engage other opposition members in the race on possible unified action. Tumukunde was expected to hold rallies in Kamwenge, Kyenjojo and Kyegegwa Districts tomorrow.
They used teargas, live bullets and water cannons to disperse the rowdy crowds that were led by Patrick Oboi Amuriat the FDC Presidential Candidate and Betty Aol Ocan the Leader of Opposition in Parliament.
Some of the residents were seen picking the teargas canisters and throwing them back at the police while others used stones to attack the heavily armed police officers.
According to Paul Bukenya, the EC Manager Media and Public Relations, as of Tuesday 17, 2020 when the 14 days elapsed after presidential candidates were nominated and campaigns started, the commission did not receive a record from any of the presidential candidates.
Kyagulanyi was arrested by a team of police officers led by Frank Mwesigwa, the zonal commander overseeing 2021 general elections in the sub-regions of Busoga and Bukedi.
Amuriat of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party was arrested from Awere Open Grounds in Layibi-Bardege division in Gulu City where he was scheduled to address voters.
The angry supporters blocked the Kampala-Jinja road in Mukono Central town using burnt car tyres. Some supporters were also seen defacing posters of candidates belonging to the National Resistance Movement-NRM and setting them ablaze.
Beatrice Kiraso, the former Kabarole Woman Member of Parliament and Chief of Staff in the Tumukunde camp, says they had organised undisclosed venue near Bundibugyo town for the meeting with their supporters.
Last month, the Executive Director of KCCA Dorothy Kisaka said they had reached a mutual understanding with Nalongo Estates and decided that she surrenders two acres as talks continue over the extra land.
Amuriat was scheduled to hold a rally at Awere Playgrounds in Gulu City West Division this afternoon. However, his entourage from Kitgum was intercepted in Paicho Trading Centre by Field Force Unit - FFU police personnel.
Kisaka who was addressing journalists on Wednesday to mark 100 days in the office identified low financing as the biggest challenge for the administration of Kampala, the nation's capital. She expressed dismay that although Kampala contributes over 60 per cent of the National Gross Domestic Product, the Authority only gets less than 2 per cent of the National Budget.
The protests were sparked off mechanics in Nyendo town; a suburb of Masaka city who blocked the main road with burning car-tyres and logs, before paralyzing traffic flow, promoting security to intervene.
Richard Seruggo, one of the passers-by who felt the wrath of teargas, says he was minding his business when he saw a police van throwing teargas. He says there was no chaos in the area and many people were going about their normal businesses.
Alex Luganda, a representative of independent candidate Henry Tumukunde says that the roads are pathetic citing experiences in Kanungu and Rukungiri where it rained the entire day, during their visit affecting their meetings in Kisoro.
In 2019, Saul Maate, the Kasese District LC V Chairperson suspended four FDC legislators from the district executive committee accusing them of having ties with president, Yoweri Museveni and shunning party meetings.
The Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigire says police has tried to cooperate with politicians to have safe campaigns but some do not adhere to the guidelines.
The camps contesting for 2021 presidential elections say they face a challenge when mobilizing the 200 people that the Electoral Commission and Ministry of Health allow because most of them have never had a face mask, sanitized or known about guidelines to prevent COVID-19
He was picked up from Luuka district headquarters where he was addressing a mini-rally by a team of police officers led by Frank Mwesigwa, the Busoga and Bukedi Zonal commander overseeing the 2021 general elections.
