By our reporter
Uganda’s President and NRM flag bearer Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has for the first time talked about the protests that erupted following the arrest of National Unity Platform presidential aspirant, Robert Kyagulanyi who is also known as Bobi Wine.
Following Kyagulanyi’s arrest by police for violating Coronavirus guidelines and detention at Nalufenya police station in Jinja, protests erupted in Kampala and later spread to several parts of the country, especially town centers.
A number of people have either been killed or injured in the protests that have entered a second day .
However, speaking to NRM leaders in Kotido on Thursday afternoon, Museveni said government will not tolerate the hooliganism exhibited by the protesters, warning they will be crashed.
“They have entered an area of fighting we know very well. Whoever started it will regret it. Some of these groups are being used by outsiders who don’t like the stability and independence of Uganda but will discover what they are looking for,”Museveni warned.
Following the protests, several people donning the yellow colours of the ruling NRM party were beaten by protesters as well as security personnel being targeted .
Speaking on Thursday, the NRM presidential candidate warned that they will soon make it difficult for anyone to Touch NRM members.
“Those who have been attacking NRM people in Kampala will soon lose that appetite. You will see the uniform of NRM and won’t touch it. Even if they abandon it, you won’t touch it. They want to create violence so that elections are not held, however, lections will continue and those fighting will lose. They will answer for the crimes they have committed.”
The President said the guidelines were put in place for the benefit of members of the public not to contract the virus but warned it is foolishness for some people to ignore them.
“We are here in this campaigning indirectly where we dont hold rallies for the sake of avoiding infecting more people. We have lost quite a number of people already including two Members of Parliament and some scientists. It is therefore criminal for anybody to ignore this. We are not going to tolerate that and whoever does it(violates guidelines) will regret what they did,” Museveni warned.
The Wednesday events saw a total of seven people including security personnel killed.
“We had seven people who lost their lives out of the violent fracas. About 45 people got injuries, including an LDU whose head was smashed,” the police spokesperson, Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson said.
The police mouthpiece however blamed the National Unity Platform for failure to control the demonstrators; most of whom he said were supporters of the party.
The latest statement by the President, who is also the commander in chief of the armed forces is a pointer of the force that government is set to deploy to enforce guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and the Electoral Commission in regards to campaign meetings and the number of people to attend.
The President’s statement is also an indicator of the force that government is set to use to crack down on protesters in various parts of the country but also violators of the guidelines.
