Kitatta’s arrest eye opener for screening those holding party leadership positions- NRM

The National Resistance Movement has said the arrest of Boda Boda 2010 Chairman and NRM Rubaga Division chairman, Abdallah Kitatta has opened their eyes to start auditing all those in party leadership positions.

In a statement released by the Secretary General, Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba on Wednesday, the party distanced themselves from circumstances involving Kitatta’s arrest.

“I have learnt of the arrest of Hajji Abdallah Kitatta our District Chairperson in Rubaga. I have also further established that his arrest by security agencies has no connections with the party operations,” Ms Lumumba said.

“As NRM, we don't condone criminality and we cherish the rule of law. The incident is however an eye opener for us at the Secretariat to start keeping a keen eye on all those in the party leadership positions,” she added.

On Friday last week, the military started an operation which climaxed with the arrest of Boda Boda 2010 chairman Abdallah Kitatta, who with other members of the notorious group are set to face charges in connection with the murder of Francis Ekalungar, an accountant with Case hospital, whose body was discovered in Kajjansi after he went missing on his way to the bank.

A statement released by the UPDF revealed that Kitatta’s arrest followed an earlier interrogation on his brother Huzair Kiwalabye over Ekalungar’s murder.

A number of boda boda riders have in the past come out claiming to have been terrorised by members from Kitatta’s boda boda 2010.

In July, Police had to fire bullets in the air to disperse a fight between rival boda boda 2010 and century faction in which one rider from Century boda boda rider association was killed whereas other sustained serious injuries.

Armed with weapons like pangas, hoes, clubs, machetes the boda boda 2010 members attacked the office of the rival group leading to a bitter fight.

Boda boda 2010 members in October beat a police officer and crime preventer who were escorting school children to perform at a police function in Entebbe but despite causing the havoc infront of journalists, none of them has ever been brought to book by police, a thing the public is still complaining about.

Kitatta and his group however have been active in NRM related events, recently being a mobilization rally in Rubaga for the Age Limit removal. Although the rally was not attended by the NRM top leadership, the group were clad in NRM colors and campaigned openly for the removal of the age limit.