Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert, the National Unity Platform presidential candidate, has blamed chaos which has roughed-up his campaigns on the state and police for allegedly planting hooligans among the party supporters during campaigns with an aim to cause havoc.
“We are alivemachination by the state to plant hooligans among our supporters during campaigns such that they can cause chaos and give NUP a bad image,” said Kyagulanyi.
Kyagulanyi made these remarks on his social platforms yesterday.
The remarks follow a scenario where NUP supporters and Journalists particularly from NBS TV were brutally attacked during the NUP presidential candidate campaigns in Lira district.
Unknown hooligans attacked the journalists, vandalized a car belonging to NBS TV and stole their equipments including a laptop and camera.
“It was very disturbing to see images of journalists, particularly those of NBS TV, attacked by hooligans and their equipments stolen yesterday during our campaigns in Lira,” regrets Kyagulanyi. He added; “I understand some of our supporters were also attacked by the same criminal elements,” he lamented.
In his one minute read social media statement, Kyagulanyi condemned the attack on media noting that its intended to scare them (media practitioners) so that they do not broadcast the hunger for change across the country.
During an attack, two journalists, Daniel Lutaaya and Thomas Kitimbo, both attached to Next Media Services’ – NBS TV, were wounded while covering the campaign events.
These were later according to the images making rounds on social media, seen mending the vandalised emergency door screen with a black poltyhene to continue executing their journalistic duties.
Kyagulanyi said the perpetrators will be sought and brought to book, calling on his supporters to remain calm.
“We call on our supporters to remain calm and peaceful even with these provocations. Ours is a peaceful revolution,” he said.
Joel Ssenyonyi, the NUP mouthpiece earlier said the party has credible information on how the state and police are installing chaotic people with People Power T-shirt and berets which police confiscated from NUP offices in Kamwokya, to disrupt the public peace during campaigns.
“We also have information that the state in conjunction with police have made plans to keep planting goons sometimes with People Power T-shirts in the crowds that welcome ourpresidential candidate in various districts he goes to.” Alleged Ssenyonyi.
He said police intention is to use the hooligans to wreck havoc by attacking people including media like it was in Lira, acts likely to soil NUP corporate image.
The Uganda Police Force PRO, Fred Enanga, on Tuesday, told reports at Uganda Media Centre that police will not keep a blind eye at any politician who will cause chaos during campaigns.
Kyagulanyi urged police and other security agencies to desist from engaging in partisan politics. He made these remarks while on a roadblock in Moroto where police blocked him from attending a radio show in Moroto town.
Enanga further admitted that police has had hard times in balancing COVID-19 SOPs and policing during political campaigns due to certain political candidates who conduct massive rallies contrary to the number that is recommended by the Electoral Commission and the MoH guidelines on COVID-19.
He however accepts that the joint security agencies have been clearly involved in enforcing the SOPs.
The Electoral Commission yesterday threatened to disqualify any presidential candidate who will continue to hold mass rally campaigns against issued guidelines on COVID-19.
Paul Bukenya, the electoral body Spokesman said that any candidate who will not abide by the guidelines will have their names removed from the ballot.
