Barbie Kyagulanyi, NUP MPs teargassed in Nakaseke

Police has fired bullets and teargas at Barbie Kyagulanyi and National Unity Platform (NUP) MPs who had gone to deliver relief items to teenage mothers in Nakaseke.

The NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi's wife was headed to Kikamulo health centre III in Nakaseke to deliver donations from her charity organisation called Caring Hearts Uganda before they were intercepted by police.

Items including Mama kits, bedsheets, delivery beds, and food were also impounded.

Legislators who had escorted Barbie Kyagulanyi include Kirumira Hassan (Katikamu South) and Ssekabira Denis (Katikamu North).

Talking to the press, Barbie said that she did not know why police was unleashing teargas on them yet they had not done anything illegal.

“What hurt me most are the babies and the helpless mothers who were teargassed. We saw them washing baby’s faces. Uganda belongs to the people of Uganda not security personal who also cannot afford two meals a day,” Mrs Kyagulanyi said.

Isah Semwogerere, who is the Police Spokesperson in the Savanna region, confirmed the incident.

Semwogerere said that Mrs Kyagulanyi and her team were advised to coordinate with the Nakaseke District Covid-19 Taskforce and they refused which forced police to disperse them.

“They refused to comply and instead mobilized their supporters who came in big numbers and entered the medical facility, contrary to the Ministry of Health guidelines on Covid-19,” Semwogerere said.

He went on, “This necessitated the use of non lethal crowd dispersal methods including tear gas to disperse the crowds."

He concluded, "Allegations that two people have been shot at is not true.”