Kampala, Uganda | URN | Kasangati police are holding Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the Kyandondo East Member of Parliament ahead of his consultative meeting in Gayaza in Wakiso district.
He was picked up together with Asuman Basalirwa, the Bugiri Municipality Member of parliament, Latif Ssebagala, the Kawempe North MP, Waiswa Mufumbira and the Kasangati LC III Chairperson.
According to Basalirwa, they were driving in Kyagulanyi’s vehicle when police intercepted them at Kasangati and drove them to the police station. He told this publication that police was yet to explain to them why they are locked up.
Kyagulanyi was expected to launch consultation meetings on his presidential ambitions.
The legislator wrote to Electoral Commission before Christmas indicating his plans to hold nationwide consultations on his presidential ambitions.
Although he had notified the Electrical Commission, which gave him green lights, it is said that he had to meet other requirements as provided for in the Public Order Management Act.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Patrick Onyango told this publication that they would issue a statement on the matter later.
Last week, a hotel in Kitgum municipality in northern Uganda cancelled a reservation by the People Power movement to hold their consultation meeting there this week allegedly after being raided by security.
Sebastian Ogoni, the People Power regional Youth coordinator for northern Uganda says that they had planned to hold the meeting on Tuesday and had already made a down payment of Shs 100,000 of the Shs 900,000 that Jaflo Garden hotel had demanded for the one-day event.
Ogoni says they received calls from the hotel management on Friday, notifying them that security personnel had raided their premises and ordered them to cancel the booking. Solomon Onono, the manager Jaflo Gardens hotel confirmed that they turned down the booking for fear that their business may be affected by the activities of the People Power movement.
Onono confirmed receiving a downpayment from People Power but now says the hotel cannot host the anticipated 2,000 delegates because such numbers are beyond the capacity they can ably accommodate. Onono says that they are yet to refund the money.
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“Our fear is that what they are coming for is politics and will affect our business. We have also consulted with police and they told us that the team haven’t approached them,” Onono said in an interview on Saturday.
William Komakech, the Kitgum resident district commissioner denied ordering management of the hotel not to host the meeting. He says, in any case, People Power only approached the hotel and failed to notify the security teams in the district as one of the prerequisites enshrined in the Public Order Management Act (POMA). As such he said, the planned meeting is unlawful.
An itinerary issued by Bobi Wine indicates that he will start his consultations on Monday, January 6 at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Gayaza in Kyadondo East. On Tuesday he will move to Da Covenant hotel Grounds in Gulu, Grand Pacific hotel in Lira on Wednesday, Lavic Country Resort in Adjumani on Thursday, Praford New Vocational Institute in Yumbe on Friday, Heritage Courts hotel in Arua on Saturday and Dreamland motel in Zombo district on Sunday.
