Police has cordoned off homes of several opposition leaders who had planned on holding parallel independence activities ahead of Sunday’s Independence Day celebrations.
The official national celebrations will be held at Luuka District headquarters in Eastern Uganda with president Yoweri Museveni as the chief guest.
However, the opposition FDC has also planned its own activities starting today, which police has vowed to foil.
Ssemujju Nganda, the FDC spokesperson says they had their first independence rally at jokers in Kireka, but police cordoned off his home before he could leave. Nganda who is the chief organizer of today’s event says it will go on as planned even in his absence.
Erias Lukwago the Kampala Lord Mayor says he was followed from his home this morning until he sought refuge at Dr. Kiiza Besigye’s home in Kasangati. Lukwago however insists he has a meeting with boda boda riders in town and police has no right to stop him from performing his tasks as Lord Mayor.
Emiliano Kayima, the Kampala Metropolitan spokesperson says opposition figures will not be permitted to hold any parallel activities.
He explains that police is just preventing the defiant men from causing any chaos in the city. Kayima says FDC party wrote to them about the activities starting today until Sunday, but police in its reply, refused to grant them such permission.
“They wrote to us and we said no. we asked them to wait and first participate in the National celebrations but they refused. They claim to have freedom, but this freedom that has no limits!” Kayima says.
Former presidential candidate Dr. Kiiza Besigye’s home also remains under lockdown. They have prepared a mega rally for Sunday at Katwe grounds, and Besigye has sworn to be part of it.
