Police fire live bullets, teargas to disperse Bobi Wine, Besigye supporters

Police on Monday afternoon was involved in running battles with supporters of two opposition politicians in two different parts of the country.

In Ndeeba, a Kampala suburb, Kyadondo East Member of Parliament was supposed to hold a consultative meeting but police cordoned off the venue as early as 8 am and didn’t allow his supporters anywhere near it.

When the legislator, cum singer’s supporters were denied access to Pope Paul Memorial community centre in Ndeeba, they resorted to rioting and blocking nearby roads, prompting police to fire live bullets in the air and teargas to disperse them.

Earlier, the deputy police spokesperson, Polly Namaye had said that Bobi Wine had not fulfilled all the conditions to allow him hold consultative meetings.

Namaye told journalists that following the botched consultative meeting in Kasangati, the legislator together with security agencies and the Electoral Commission had a meeting in which Bobi Wine proposed a 10 point strategy to be followed but according to Namaye, this has up to now not been submitted to the law enforcement body.

“However, these strategies have not been submitted to police. On January 31 and February 18, 2020, the director operations wrote to remind honorable Kyagulanyi to submit these proposals but this has not been done,”Namaye said.

“The police therefore still awaits the assurance that there shall be an effort to respect law and order by abiding with agreed-upon strategies in order to embark on the team’s consultative meeting schedule.”

Besigye not spared

The police wrath didn’t spare opposition strongman and four-time presidential candidate, Dr. Kizza Besigye who was supposed to have an activity in Njeru.

The police and the army in a joint operation had to fire live bullets and teargas in the air to disperse supporters who were waiting for the former Forum for Democratic Change president.

Earlier, his vehicle had been impounded near Ssezibwa bridge and parked at Kayunga police station over yet to be known charges.

The law enforcement body has on several occasions collided with politicians especially from the opposition in regards to the enforcement of the Public Management Act.

As Police insist that everyone must seek for permission to hold a rally, politicians insist that the role of police is to provide security and that they are only supposed to notify police on their intended activities but not seeking for permission.