Five people have sustained injuries following protests that broke out in the notorious Kisekka market. The protests broke out today Tuesday following the arrest of Kyadondo East member of parliament, Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine yesterday.
Kyagulanyi is currently remanded at Luzira prison until May 2 when he is expected to reappear in court to answer charges of disobedience of statutory duty when he and others allegedly organised a protest against the social media tax in 2018.
The injured include; two pregnant women and three men who sustained multiple wounds. One of the victims is reported to have been hit by a tear gas canister. One of the pregnant women is also reported to be in critical condition.
Praise Turyebwa, the manager Red Cross Kampala West Branch says that the injured have been rushed to Mulago hospital for treatment. The injured were all picked up from the Kisekka market area.
NTV reported a one Beatrice Akol, a security guard working with Securex who was shot in the leg with a rubber bullet while on duty at Orient bank in Kisekka market. Currently, the army and police operatives are still heavily deployed in Kisekka and business remains standstill with most shops still closed.
Angry protestors in Nakulabye, Kisekka market, Kalerwe and Kamwokya who were demanding for Bobi Wine's release engaged in running battles with the police and army personnel.
For the several part of the day, police battled with protesters at the Nakulabye traffic lights, and near Chez Johnson and around Tuskys supermarket. The angry protestors also blocked roads with heavy stones in addition to lighting fires. An undisclosed number of the protesters have also been arrested.
"We are monitoring the strategic places using CCTV [Closed Circuit Television] cameras. Even commanders of platoons deployed at different strategic points have been given gadgets that enable them connect with control room at CPS [Kampala Central Police Station]," a senior security officer earlier told URN.
A woman who had locked herself inside her shop in Nakulabye fainted and was rushed to Mulago hospital. But in places like Nakawa and the surrounding areas, business was moving on normally like any other day. Between 9 am to midday, there was no heavy deployment of the police or the army in the area, unlike in other areas.
Some Nakawa market traders, say that it is unusual that there are no riots around the market. The traders are among those who sell charcoal, foodstuffs and kitchenware like saucepans. Even Boda Boda cyclists and taxi drivers say that Kyagulanyi's detention has hardly attracted any protests from traders in the market.
Some of the traders including 46-year-old Issa, a boda-boda cyclist and Juliet, a 37-year-old mother and charcoal seller strongly oppose Kyagulanyi's detention, while others say that they are not concerned by what is happening to Kyagulanyi.
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