Heavy Deployment, Dull Mood Surrounds Kyambogo Neighbourhood

Security has been heightened at Kyambogo Cricket Grounds, the venue for the nomination of presidential candidates.

The venue is heavily guarded by military police, UPDF and regular Police Officers who are patrolling the area, which is covered with posters of the National Resistance Movement candidate Yoweri Museveni.

The presence of security personnel is visible at the entrance and exit of the nomination venue and all surrounding areas like Kyambogo University, while several others are patrolling the area walking alongside pedestrians in the neighbourhood, where a day time curfew is being enforced.

Residents in Kyambogo Lower Estate are keeping indoors while some say they are walking to Banda to shop groceries. The estate made up of seven avenues including  Cornwall, Gloucester, Devon, Lancaster, Essex, Norfolk and Edinburgh has an estimated population of 300 people.

The residents include retirees, politicians including the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC's Secretary-General Nathan Nandali Mafabi, Mbale municipality MP Jack Wamanga Wamai, Jack Sabiiti and Beatrice Anywar- the  Minister of State for Environment, students and staff of both Kyambogo University and UNEB, among others.

One of the residents told URN that they had made arrangements to stay indoors until the end of the nomination exercise. He, however, thinks plain-clothed security officers have been deployed within the estate so that residents do not feel more distressed about the increased security measures in Kyambogo.

Meanwhile, Joel Musinguzi, who works at Uganda National Examinations Board- UNEB printery in Kyambogo, was disappointed to find the offices closed after riding all the way from Mukono. The printery is 200 metres away from the nomination venue.

Inside Kyambogo University, some students can be seen moving around the premises to read while some are observing what is happening at the nomination venue from afar. Some students are complaining about disrupted lectures.

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They are worried because they will be sitting exams later this month.

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Meanwhile, the Special Forces Command -SFC accompanied by Local Defence Unit -LDUs and Field Force Unit personnel are also monitoring the movement of pedestrians, motorcycles and vehicles but also securing Electoral Commission offices.

Teargas trucks, armed SFC soldiers and FFU keep switching positions. The police have also deployed at offices of Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde in Kololo. Tumukunde, who was until March 2018, the Security Minister in President Yoweri Museveni's government, is also expected to be nominated today at 1 p.m.

Other aspirants expected to be nominated today include former Chief of Defence Forces -CDF MajGen Gregg Mugisha Muntu at 3 pm. Nancy Kalembe the only female aspirant will be nominated at 4 p.m.

The first candidate, NRM's Yoweri Museveni has already arrived at the venue.