Police say Bobi Wine, others were arrested for stoning, blocking Museveni’s convoy

Police have said over 30 people were arrested since the chaos in Arua Municipality in which one person was shot dead at the climax of the municipality by-election campaigns.

On Monday evening, chaos erupted in Arua town when Kassiano Wadri’s supporters allegedly pelted stones at President Museveni’s convoy smashing the hind screen one of the vehicles on the convoy.

Security forces would later fire bullets to disperse the crowd but unfortunately, Yasin Kawuma a driver of a Tundra vehicle belonging to Kyadondo East Municipality MP Robert Kyagulanyi was shot dead during the chaos.

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday, police said over 30 people have been arrested since Monday to help police in investigations over the chaos.

“Those who were arrested included candidate Kassiano Wadri, MPs Paul Mwiru, Gerald Karuhanga, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and former MP Michael Mabikke among others,” police spokesperson Emilian Kayima told a news conference.

The police mouthpiece insisted that the group together with others obstructed and violently attacked the presidential motorcade at Prison Cell in Arua town leading to smashing of the hind screen of one of the vehicles in the convoy.

He said the same group had earlier tried to block the convoy at transport junction road in Arua town by driving a grader into the road adding that these acts of violence were planned.

When put to task to explain the charges against the people arrested including Members of Parliament, Kayima said investigations would find out more but noted that the group is currently accused of blocking and stoning the presidential convoy.

“Many offences were committed by the group but one of them is obstruction of the convoy of the president which also amounts to a crime and will be investigated,”Kayima said.

"We shall prefer charges to them according to evidence got from our investigations.”

He referred to the Traffic and Road Safety Act which criminalizes blockade of the presidential convoy.

Asked to shed more light on how the president’s vehicle was smashed, Kayima said all this will be part of the wider investigations to find out what exactly was used to smash the hind screen.

“We feel some members of the public out of ignorance can take the bold misguided step to do what they did.”

During the resulting scuffle, one person was shot dead whereas other sustained injuries but when asked to comment on the use of force by security forces, the police spokesperson defended the act as being lawful.

“The law allows to use some of these weapons to quell such situation,”Kayima noted.

Journalists not spared

 During the incident two journalists from Serena based NTV were arrested by security forces in Arua.

Subsequently, reporter Herbert Zziwa and camera man Ronnie Muwanga were arrested on Monday night before spending the night in police cells at Gulu Central Police Station.

The two were later released on police bond after charges of inciting violence and malicious damage were slapped on the duo.

When asked on why some of those arrested had been detained in Gulu, Kayima said it was legal and in accordance with the law.

“The law doesn’t restrict on where to keep suspects in case of a crime committed.”

Arua will on Wednesday go to polls to elect their Member of Parliament for the municipality seat that went vacant following the brutal murder of  Col.Ibrahim Abiriga last month .

Twelve candidates  vying for  the seat including Nusura Tiperu(NRM),Bruce Musema(FDC),Kennedy Madira(DP) and Jaffar Alekua(JEEMA).

Others are Kassiano Wadri(Independent),Francis Elton Nyero,Sunday Anguandia,Simon Avutia,Safi Bavuga and Robert Ejiku.