The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General David Muhoozi has apologised to the journalists that were beaten by police and the military while executing their duties yesterday, when they had gone to cover Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine’s petition to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
The police and military yesterday afternoon clobbered several people who had gone with National Unity Platform (NUP) leader Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNCHR), in Kololo, Kampala.
Kyagulanyi had gone together with others to deliver a petition to the UN to intervene in the continued abductions of Ugandans by armed security operatives who use drone vans.
However, the police blocked all the people Bobi Wine had gone with, allowing only him, NUP Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya and Masaka Municipality Member of Parliament Matthias Mpuuga, before they brutalized all the other people he had gone with, in a bid to disperse them.
In reaction to the absurd development however, CDF Gen. Muhoozi has promised to take action against the perpetrators.
He admitted that lessons have been learnt from that and previous incidents and promised to liaise with the media to improve relationship that’s going so sour lately.
It should be recalled however that in August 2018, a similar incident occurred after Bobi Wine’s arrest in Arua, whereby journalists who were covering the protests that broke out in Kampala and other parts of the country were severely beaten by UPDF officers.
Then UPDF Spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire said that the CDF had ordered for the arrest of all officers involved, although none has never been prosecuted to date.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, however, insisted that yesterday’s ugly incident was orchestrated by Bobi Wine.
According to Police, Bobi Wine successfully submitted his petition to the United Nations Human Rights offices, located at Prince Charles Drive, Kololo in Kampala, but he breached the standing COVID-19 regulations against holding processions, reason why they had to disperse the crowd that he had gone with to Kololo.
“Bobi Wine however disregarded the guidelines and held an illegal procession and assembly involving bodabodas, motor vehicles and supporters walking on foot,” Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said in a statement.
“Although we respect the rights of citizens to freely assemble and express themselves, the health and safety of all Ugandans and visitors, and rule of law remains our top priority,” he added.
Onyango also noted, as a reminder, that all unlawful rallies, assemblies and processions are still restricted under the health protocols in place.
The Police spokesperson therefore revealed that due to the acts of overcrowding at the security perimeters near the UN offices, there was a great potential of breaching the security perimeter, which led to additional reinforcement that helped disperse the uncontrolled crowds.
By Baron Kironde
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