By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate for Makindye West parliamentary seat, Allan Aloysius Sewanyana is in police custody for staging a procession contrary to the COVID19 preventive guidelines.
Sewanyana was intercepted by officers from the Kampala South Regional Police headquarters at Katwe trading center and thrown into the police patrol vehicle registration number UP 5467 while leading a procession shortly after his nomination.
Sewanyana was moving with about 100 supporters when he was intercepted. According to the Electoral Commission guidelines, candidates were only allowed with a seconder and nominator to comply with COVID-19 preventive measures. (mrghealth.com)
Earlier on, Police deployed heavily around Sewanyana’s office in Mubaraka zone in Makindye division. No one was allowed to access the office that is found near those of his rivals, Farouk Ntege, an Independent and DP’s candidate Bosco Lusagala.
However, there was no deployment at the offices of Sewanyana’s rivals, which are just about 20 meters away. A police only identified with his nametag as Imalingat, who was part of the operation to arrest Sewanyana directed our reporter to get information from the Kampala Metropolitan Spokesperson on the charges preferred against the legislator.
In the same vein Kira municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda had a confrontation with police earlier has been driven back to his home in Kirinnya – Bukasa immediately after he was nominated to contest for the same seat in next year’s elections.
Ssemujju Nganda whom police said he defied the ban by the Electoral Commission on public gatherings and processions was briefly arrested at Kira Division Police headquarters in a bid to break up his long convoy of cars.
Thousands of supporters turned up at Ssemujju’s home wearing his campaign T-shirts and overalls chanting his name and FDC slogans. They paralyzed traffic on the busy Jinja road for a while.
In order to stop many of them from proceeding to Wakiso district headquarters where nominations have been taking place, police fired teargas to disperse the largely peaceful supporters.
Speaking moments after he had been successfully nominated, Ssemujju said, there was no way he was going to obey guidelines that seek to sideline the people he represents. He added that because government insisted on moving ahead with the 2021 elections, they must prepare to deal with them, because, they will try as much as possible to have a normal campaign with mass gatherings and processions.
Ssemujju called upon police to release all his supporters who have been arrested and detained at Kira division police station, Kasangati Police station and at Wakiso police station, because according to him, they have committed no crime.
“I wonder why they are arresting our people; if the problem is crowds, why don’t they go and throw teargas in markets where thousands are gathered. These fellows are as if they are drunk. I seek this nomination on behalf of the people of Kira and you should allow them to express themselves throughout the process,” Ssemujju said.
The arrest of Sewanyana hasn’t gone down well with his supporters. Brian Tunwebaze, a resident of Katwe, says their candidate was arrested because he is a strong politician and preferred by many people.
Meddy Mutyaba, a resident of Mubaraka zone and supporter of Sewanyana, said his arrest is a sign of weakness exhibited by police and other security operatives.
He said it was illogical for police to arrest Sewanyana who was returning to his office following his nomination
Police are yet to issue a statement on Sewanyana’s arrest. Nobody including journalists and his lawyers has been allowed to access Sewanyana who is locked up at Katwe police station.
