Tororo police fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse a procession by National Unity Platform (NUP) party supporters to celebrate the nomination of their presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
Police intercepted the NUP party members as they marched through Tororo town leading to running battles, which ended up in Tororo Main market where even bigger crowds joined the procession. Police then fired tear gas in the market with vendors forced to abandon their stalls for over an hour as they ran for dear life.
Speaking to URN after the skirmishes, Tororo district police commander, Rodger Chebene, said they were able to impound one vehicle and arrest several NUP supporters including the Tororo Municipality NUP mayoral candidate, Abdul Karim Wakwale. According to Chebene, he never expected any political activities in Tororo since the nominations were taking place in Kampala.
"I thought the presidential candidates were being nominated from Kampala, but why again should a procession be in Tororo?" asked the DPC.
Chebene also said Tororo being one of the COVID-19 hotspots in Uganda, it would be improper to hold such processions because they endanger people's lives. Yesterday, Health minister Jane Ruth Aceng successful held a procession in Lira city in northern Uganda to celebrate the nomination of President Yoweri Museveni. The minister even said holding processions and meetings in open air space while observing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) is fine.
Wakwale, who is among those who were arrested, has condemned their arrest, saying the procession was peaceful and did not warrant any arrest. He called for equality from law enforcers while managing political activities.
Earlier on residents locked their shops to catch live updates of Kyagulanyi's nomination at Kyambogo University sports ground on TV. The most affected were electronic shops in Tororo taxi park.
After his nomination, Kyagulanyi was brutally arrested after police broke into his vehicle soon after being nominated. Kyagulanyi was then forcefully driven to his home in Magere, Gayaza where they continued to battle with his supporters throughout the day. Kyagulanyi's supporters even deflated the police truck that had been used to drive him home.
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