Government to blame for Bobi Wine protests- Ssemujju
Kira Municipality Member of Parliament and Forum for Democratic Change spokesperson Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has urged government to invest in addressing what has caused people to riot, instead of responding to protests with bullets and teargas.
https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/11/19/govt-condemns-bobi-wine-protests-as-death-toll-reaches-seven/
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Violent scenes, bullets and teargas have rocked several urban towns in the county as rioters took to the streets to protest against the arrest of National Unity Platform presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu alias Bobi Wine.
Speaking on NBS Frontline on Thursday evening, Ssemujju urged government to desist from using force to quell protests as this leads to grave effects for the country's security.
"You have to deal with what motivates people to go to the streets. If you don’t address what they do while there, you are making a grave mistake," Ssemujju said.
Ssemujju said the people are simply asking for a level ground in the electoral process and this is what government should address.
"The same treatment you give candidate Tibuhaburwa when crowds receive him in Gulu is the same treatment everybody wants," Ssemujju said.
The FDC spokesperson blamed government for the ugly scenes that have unfolded across the country as people took to the streets and asked government to respect human rights.
"If you provoke the population to act the way it did, who takes the blame?" Ssemujju asked.
Government spokesperson, Ofwono Opondo who is also a member of the show panel however, maintained that the demonstrators were extremely violent and government is doing its role to ensure that laws and order are followed to the dot.
Opondo said, "There is a section of leaders in this country who say they won't comply with the rules. Ugandans saw what happened yesterday. They were extremely violent rioters."
The government mouthpiece added that there is no law in the country's Constitution that says that when one is an MP or presidential candidate, they should treat them differently when they break the law.
The NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi was arrested for violating Electoral Commission guidelines on election campaigns amidst the Coronavirus pandemic on Wednesday.
