Police in Masindi fired teargas and live ammunition on Wednesday to disperse supporters of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Patrick Oboi Amuriat from his campaign rally.
Police accused Amuriat of deviating from the agreed campaign guidelines set by the Electoral Commission and the ministry of Health in the fight against COVID-19.
Amuriat according to the Electoral Commission campaign schedule, was on Wednesday scheduled to campaign in Kiryandongo, Buliisa and Masindi districts. But when police got information that Amuriat was heading to Masindi town centre from Kiryandongo, they immediately blocked the Masindi-Kiryandongo road.
However, Amuriat and his advance campaign team led by Isaac Bongomin, the FDC party secretary-general in Masindi municipality beat security and emerged in Kijura trading centre located less than a kilometre from Masindi police station without the knowledge of the police.
As Amuriat and his team gathered to address the voters in Kijura, police led by Vincent Irama, the district police commander (DPC) stormed the area and disconnected his public address system.
The DPC told Amuriat that he could not allow him to address voters in the area insisting that he should go to Masindi Booma grounds where he was scheduled to hold his rally.
Amuriat insisted and forcefully started addressing a rally in Kijura, a thing that resulted into a bitter exchange of words between Amuriat and the DPC. Police then fired teargas and live bullets to disperse several supporters that had gathered at Kijura. Police forcefully escorted Amuriat out of Masindi town prompting him to head to Buliisa district where he was also scheduled to hold a rally.
Amuriat becomes the third presidential candidate to be blocked from holding a campaign rally in Masindi by police over accusations of deviating from the agreed campaign guidelines. The others are independents Joseph Kabuleta who was blocked on November 15 and Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde who was blocked on Tuesday.
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