The Ministry of Kampala Capital City and Metropolitan Affairs has vowed to protect all city dwellers and their businesses from violent political actors who threaten them especially during these campaign times.
While addressing the media in Kampala on Wednesday, Minister Betty Amongi noted that a group of people belonging to a certain political party that she did not mention, had attacked their counterparts on Monday, for celebrating their presidential candidate’s nomination.
She noted that on Monday, a group of boda boda riders attacked their colleagues who were wearing t-shirts of their party color around mini-price.
“A number of business people reported several threats and intimidation where a group of people on Monday were moving in shops warning those who do not wear a particular color not to open their shops on Tuesday 3rd November 2020. We also got reports from our teams about similar threats in Kisekka Market and other downtown areas” Amongi.
She added that on Tuesday, there were several incidences in the city that interrupted businesses in some parts of the city arising from failure by supporters of some presidential candidates to abide by the guidelines stipulated by the electoral commission and defying security agencies who were enforcing the regulations.
“We observed blatant and serious violations of SOP to curb COVID 19 where there were gatherings and demonstrations without wearing masks and social distance despite the continuous increase in the spread of COVID 19 in the city” Amongi added.
According to the minister, several posters of presidential candidates within the city. She warns that this risks breading intolerance, ferments violence and disrupts business in the city all of which affect the economy and way of life.
She now promises that while Ugandans exercise their democratic rights in this period of election, they must remind themselves that their actions must push for messages that bind the country together not those dividing it.
“We assure you as leaders in charge of managing our city that we shall ensure protection of the people living in Kampala and metropolitan areas in their diversity so that no group feels threatened or alienated. We shall not hesitate to decisively deal with those that orchestrate violence and victimize people with divergent political beliefs. Those that engage in criminal acts like defacing legally placed posters of other candidates in this electoral process as well as those that wish to use this period as cover for criminality shall face the full force of the law. We cannot tolerate those who threaten to divide us along the ethnic line, neither shall we tolerate HATE in our beautiful city” Amongi warned.
