The mayor of Munich, Dieter Reiter has halted the upcoming National Resistance Movement (NRM) diaspora convention in Munich, Nile Post has learnt.
The convention was scheduled to take place between July 1-3, 2022 but its conveners will now have to wait a little longer, following a protest letter from exiled Ugandan writer, Kakwenza Rukirabashaija.
In his letter seen by The Nile Post, Kakwenza said the convention is being organised under the auspices of President Museveni, who he described as a brutal dictator that has overseen hundreds of human rights violations in Uganda.
The self-exiled writer said that the convention is disturbing to them as Ugandans living in exile and to others who are concerned about the human rights violations in Uganda.
“While there is no freedom of expression, assembly and among other civil liberties, the chamchas of the brute NRM government who are always bankrolled to sanitise the evils of Gen. Yoweri Museveni through glorifying violence, are the same people who have been given visas and welcomed in this beautiful country, Germany where freedom of citizens is held in high regard…” Kakwenza said in his letter.
He added that it is absurd to see that the people responsible for his displacement had been provided foreign space in Munich to sanitise the regime of President Museveni.
“We, exiled or unwanted citizens of Uganda currently living in Munich, shall not take this equanimity and shall look at failure to thwart the convention as compliance and a celebratory toast with the dictator and his confederate,” Kakwenza protested.
In his response, the mayor through the Munich professional city councillor Dorothee Schiwy said that the descriptions had them very concerned and stunned.
“Of course, a ruthlessly and brutally acting regime must not be offered a stage on which it can blatantly conduct its public relations…” the councillor said in response.
“After consultation with the provider of the social facility in which the event was to take place, we can assure you that the contract for the transfer of the premises was not concluded and thus the event in the facility does not come about… the councillor added.
Sources inside the NRM diaspora camp have indeed confirmed to Nile Post that the convention has since been moved and will be held on a later date.
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One source, who preferred anonymity to talk to us freely, said that they were contacted by the secretariat to have the event postponed due to “unavoidable circumstances.”
When contacted for a comment, chief organiser Lillian Ikulumet who is also the secretary for the NRM Chapter in Germany said that Kakwenza has a right to pen a letter to the Munich mayor, but they had not yet been contacted by officials.
Ikulumet however noted they had pushed the convention to a later date due to some issues, she did not explain.
