Police fired teargas and live bullets to block opposition politicians and activists from holding end-of-year prayers and a procession through the Kampala city center.
Under their umbrella United Forces of Change, opposition politicians had organized a public end-of-year prayer at Nsambya Sharing Hall but the Kampala Metropolitan Police said the organizers had not sought permission.
When opposition supporters and leaders arrived at Nsambya Sharing Hall on Friday morning, police fired teargas to break to disperse them. It later closed the gate to the Hall and asked those who had gathered to vacate immediately.
When many of those who had gathered at the Catholic Church-owned premises vacated, police withdrew to the other side of the road and allowed small gatherings to pray outside the gate.
Speaking after a short prayer, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, aka Bobi Wine, the president of the National Unity Platform, said the actions of the police shouldn’t demoralize the change-seeking Ugandans.
Kyagulanyi called upon all opposition supporters to come together and fight for change. Adding that it's only when they are united that they will be able to defeat President Yoweri Museveni.
Dr. Kizza Besigye on the other hand said the police’s actions explain why last month they held a human rights conference on Uganda in Nairobi in Kenya other than in Kampala.
Besigye said if police can break up a peaceful prayer how about a conference aimed at publicizing the torture that opposition activists and politicians have been subjected to?
The Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago decried what he called blatant violations of human rights. He said its actions like these that energize them to continue pushing until there is a change in Uganda.
The prayers were attended by politicians from the Forum for Democratic Change, the National Unity Platform, the Conservative Party, and the People’s Progressive Party. After the short prayers and speeches, the group jumped into their cars and tried to drive to the city center but they were intercepted by the police and the army at the Nsambya Traffic lights and redirected to Access Road, which joins Nsambya Road to Jinja Road near Mukwano Industry.
The standoff caused traffic jam on all roads leading to and outside Nsambya. But after about 20 minutes, the group driving in a convoy of about 20 cars and followed by a fleet of boda bodas, budged and agreed to use Access Road.
However, a few meters away from the Jinja Road traffic lights, police and the military again intercepted the group and fired live bullets and teargas to disperse the escorting boda bodas and other supporters.
The police also arrested supporters and some online bloggers who were traveling in a Toyota Hiace and those hanging on Dr. Kizza Besigye and Kyagulanyi’s car. The stand-off that lasted over an hour also caused a traffic jam on roads leading to Jinja Road.
In a statement, police said they were forced to act because the meeting was unlawful.
“Owing to terrorism threats in the country, security agencies resolved that all public events in the country must be cleared by the Inspector General of Police. The planned end-of-year prayers organized by United Forces of Change at Nsambya Sharing Hall today were not cleared and therefore they will not take place. The organizers are advised to seek clearance before they can go ahead with their planned prayers. We advised them to go and attend prayers in other places of worship,” Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson said in a statement.
