At least five Members of Parliament from Lango sub-region are hospitalized after sustaining serious during a scuffle with police as the latter dispersed a consultative meeting on the presidential age limit organized in Lira town on Tuesday.
Legislators including; Charles Angiro Gutumoi (Erute North) Jonathan Odur (Erute South), Cecilia Atim Ogwal (Dokolo), Joy Atim Ongom (Lira) and Sylvia Akello (Otuke) fainted after inhaling teargas which was used to disperse crowds at the rally. They are admitted at Lira Medical Centre.
By this morning however, all the MPs were in stable condition except Sylvia Akello, the Otuke Woman MP who was still unconscious. Akello was allegedly kicked several times during the fracas by Joel Tubanone, the Lira District Police Commander who commanded the operations.
The MPs complained of general body pains and weaknesses. Joy Atim Ongom, the Lira Woman MP had convened the consultative meeting at Adyel Division Headquarters Playgrounds in line with a police directive that only allowed the area legislator to convene such a meeting.
All was well until she was joined by her colleagues on the stage, forcing police to disperse the crowd. The officers fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse the group.
More than 1, 000 residents had already signed a petition, saying no to the proposed scrapping of article 102 (b) of the constitution, which caps the president's age at 75.
Felix Okot Ogong, the Chairperson Lango Parliamentary group has condemned police action arguing it was uncalled for. Okot claims they got clearance for a joint consultation from the office of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Internal Affairs and wondered why police in Lira acted that way.
Okot appealed for calm saying they will communicate their next course of action soon.
