According to guidelines issued earlier by the Police, all Presidential aspirants and candidates will not be allowed to hold any processions along the road and will equally, have restricted access to the Central Business District, and all junctions that join the Kampala – Jinja Highway between Spear Motors and Kireka Trading Centre.
Politicians have been cautioned against propagating chaos as the
country prepares for Presidential nominations due to start tomorrow
November 2, 2020. The 2-day exercise will be held at the Kyambogo
University Cricket Ground.
According
to guidelines issued earlier by the Police, all Presidential aspirants
and candidates will not be allowed to hold any processions
along the road and will equally, have restricted access to the Central
Business
District, and all junctions that join the Kampala – Jinja Highway
between Spear Motors and Kireka Trading Centre.
The nomination centre will only be accessible to Presidential Aspirants, their recommended number of people accredited by Electoral Commission and Electoral Commission Officials. Similarly, Access to Kyambogo University will be restricted to only
accredited persons. There will also be no access to other motorists intending to use the Kampala –
Jinja Highway between Spear Motors and Kireka Trading Centre except
members of the Electoral Commission, Presidential Aspirants, Service
Vehicles, Emergency Vehicles and Security Vehicles.
But according to police, they have learnt of a ploy by political actors and groups who are mobilising bodaboda riders and militias onto the streets and ferrying supporters from upcountry to join illegal processions and rallies.
Edward
Ochom, the Director of Operations in the Uganda Police Force says that
the police are well prepared to counter anyone who defies the directive as
well as any threat presented by political activists during the
nomination exercise, an event which has been categorised as a high
target for violence, civil disobedience and demonstrations.
//Cue in; “The public should…
Cue out…and cyber-crimes.”//
The
first on
the Nomination list is the National Resistance Movement candidate Yoweri
Kaguta Museveni, who will be nominated at 10 o'clock on Monday. On the same day, the EC has listed General Henry Tumukunde, Gen Gregg Mugisha
Muntu John Katumba and Nancy Kalembe for nomination.
Ochom reiterates that the police and its
sister agencies will apply reasonable force at their
disposal to counter and disperse threats of any kind. Specialist teams have been deployed at selected locations, while others are patrolling in rapid reaction formations. There are also dedicated K9 teams and crowd dispersal teams deployed to counter all forms of illegal activities and violent demonstrations that could compromise public safety and security.
//Cue in; “The joint security...
Cue out… criminal activity.”//
Luganda//Cue in; “Era deployment…
Cue out…kiki, obudde.”//
He also cautioned Bodaboda riders and the politicians they support to avoid organizing and taking
part in illegal processions to the nomination centre because they will be met
with full force from the security officers.
Kasirye Ashraf Saif-llah
Freelancer