I was not targeting Museveni’s cash, says NRM supporter who was "nailed"

Isaac Katoogo, 36, the man who was allegedly nailed through one of the cheeks has dismissed as baseless, reports that he faked the incident to target money from President Museveni.

Early this week, photos circulated on social media showing Katoogo’s mouth with a nail drilled in it and on interrogation, he claimed the act had been done by opposition supporters who accused him of supporting President Museveni.

The Mbale Resident District Commissioner (RDC)Sulaiman Barasa Ogajjo recently accused Katoogo of fabricating the incident to attract Museveni.

"I believe it was a fake deal. He wanted to get money from the government after claiming he was attacked,” Barasa said on Wednesday.

Speaking to the Nile Post in Kampala, the 36-year-old herbalist said he has no time of targeting Museveni’s cash yet there are other ways of getting money.

“That is a wrong belief because I composed the song well knowing where I can get money if I do so but not targeting Museveni. I have numbers for the Vice President and former Security Minister, Lt.Gen. Henry Tumkunde who I can call to lead me to the President other than faking such an incident,” Katoogo said.

“What would drive me into faking such a big incident?”

Not NRM supporter?

The Mbale district National Resistance Movement chairman, Muhamood Masaba said Katoogo has never been a supporter of the ruling party.

“After verification, we have confirmed that he is not our supporter. Therefore, in our district, we do not have any supporter or leader of NRM party, who was beaten,” Masaba said.

However, in response, Katoogo rubbished the claims saying the NRM chairman for Mbale has his own ill motives.

“If he is NRM chairman, does he know every party member in Mbale? Did he go to my village and inquire about my support for the ruling NRM party for the past two years I have spent in the area and they said they don’t know me,” Katoogo questioned.

“If he is not just a mediocre, he should just keep quiet because he does not know what he is talking about.”

The 36-year-old man, who insists he was nailed in the jaw by opposition supporters, said it is foolish for anyone to think he is not an NRM supporter and that he has a bigger project that forced him to fake the incident.

“I injected my own cash totaling to shs250, 000 in the song praising Museveni and bringing together all party members. Let him show anything he has injected in cash to benefit the ruling party just like I did before making such wild allegations,”Katoogo added.

The incident comes a few weeks after another NRM supporter was nailed in the hands by alleged opposition supporters at Kalerwe.

Baker Kasumba, a resident of Kivuulu in Kawempe division last month reported to Kibe police post in Kalerwe with two-inch six nails in his palms after claiming that he had been attacked by two men accusing him of supporting the ruling NRM party who drove two 6-inch nails in his hands.

NRM supporters led by the party Secretary General, Justine Kasule Lumumba visited Kasumba at Mulago, before transferring him to a private hospital and promised to pay for his bills.