NUP distances self from planned countrywide protests

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The National Unity platform (NUP) has disowned countrywide calls for protests aimed at denouncing President Museveni’s election victory.

NUP said this in response to information making rounds on social media, with the anonymous organizers of the protests calling on Ugandans to remain at home effective Wednesday (today).

In the audios and videos, Ugandans are urged to stock enough food and stay home or be harmed for defying the orders. They warn that the protests will transition into mass uprisings, including the use of external forces, to overthrow government.

Currently, former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, the runner-up in last month’s presidential poll, has asked the Supreme Court to annul the election victory of President Museveni.

Addressing the media shortly after meeting party members who lost in the recent polls from his home in Wakiso, Mr Kyagulanyi said the protest allegations are baseless.

He said he learnt of the allegations from the Minister of Information, Communication Technology and National Guidance, Ms Judith Nabakooba.

“These planned allegations were announced by government through their minister. They are trying to associate them with our party and other political parties, yet they are baseless,” Mr Kyagulanyi said.

“We cannot stop people from coming to town when tomorrow is voting day when people have to go and exercise their democratic rights by choosing their local leaders,” Mr Kyagulanyi said.

Elections for sub-county, town and municipal division chairpersons and councillors are scheduled for today.

Police in their statement issued by the deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Paul Lokech, on Monday called upon all Ugandans to reject what they referred to as politics of fear.

Commenting on the election petition they filed in the Supreme Court, Mr Kyagulanyi said: “But because we have a plan to remove the dictator, we thought that filling the presidential election petition is one of the ways to since we use nonviolent means,” he said.

Mr David Luis Rubongoya, the secretary general for NUP, also protested the continuous siege of their head offices in Kamwokya by the security.

“We have written to police and other security agencies about the continued siege of offices but we have not yet received any response from them. We find it inconveniencing,” he said.

Mr Rubongoya said NUP has received substantial support from other political parties in respect to filling the presidential election petition.

“All Opposition parties have the same goal. We had good political relations before elections and even now after elections, some political parties have provided to us election declaration result forms and others have sworn in affidavits in court explaining what happened in different polling stations,” he said.