The Uganda Police Force has denied having apologized to new political faction People power over events in Gayaza on Monday that left people injured.
On Thursday, the electoral commission convened a mmeeting with management of Uganda Police and 2021 Presidential hopefuls including People power patron Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine to forge a better working relationship.
The meeting came after police cancelled three consultative meetings organized by people power in Kampala on Monday, Gulu on Tuesday an Lira on Wednesday, citing failure to adhere to the Public order management Act.
After the Thursday meeting however, people power reported that police had apologized for it's actions and promised to do better. The narrative was picked by some major media houses, prompting the police to clear the air.
"It was however, unfortunate that the representatives from the “People Power” group, chose to deliberately misinform the public, when they presented their draft proposals as the official position of the committee. This conduct showed that they seemed not to have understood the objective of the meeting. They further claimed that the police delegation had admitted to making mistakes while policing the consultations, which was wrongly carried forward by selected media outlets like, the NBS and Daily Monitor. We found it unrealistic and absolutely inaccurate for these media houses, to promote a narrative that was misleading, yet there are recordings to support the discussions" police spokesperson Fred Enanga says in a statement.
Enanga explains that at the end of the meeting, members agreed that there will be no processions during the consultations; that the Electoral Commission would formulate regulations, Under Section 88 of the Presidential Elections Act; and that the ten (10) areas proposed by “People Power”, be formally presented before the committee, for further discussions and way forward in the best interests of the Electoral Commission, Police and “People Power” group.
"As we wait for the official statement from the Electoral Commission, we would like to remind and reassure all political actors and groups, that the police is not there to victimise them. We pledge to continue upholding the highest standards of electoral policing, affording equal rights and respect to all politicians. We also call upon them to respect and observe the Law in the conduct of their political activities" Enanga said.
