Kampala, Uganda: The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has distanced itself from the violent gangs that assaulted and robbed civilians in Kampala on Saturday while wearing the party’s trademark yellow t-shirts.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, June 30, NRM Secretary General Rt Hon Richard Todwong described the attacks as “regrettable” and “very unfortunate,” suggesting that political rivals could have infiltrated the event to damage the party’s image.
“We cannot rule out that those could be elements of the opposition that dressed in our t-shirts and caused that incident,” Todwong said. “Because in the history of NRM, our youth have never behaved like that. That behaviour is not for NRM. It is similar to the behaviours of other parties.”
The chaos erupted shortly after President Museveni, the NRM National Chairman, picked nomination forms from the party’s Kyadondo Road secretariat, signaling his intent to contest for the flagbearer position in next year’s election.
Videos circulated widely on social media show groups of youths clad in NRM shirts assaulting motorists, mobile money agents, and passers-by, robbing millions of shillings and mobile phones in broad daylight.
Police have since arrested 21 suspects in connection with the attacks, including individuals captured on CCTV footage violently dragging victims along Kampala roads.
Todwong announced that the NRM, working closely with security agencies, had launched an investigation to identify and prosecute all perpetrators. “The footage is there, the faces are known,” he said. “The police are investigating each and every one of them who was involved in this.”
While insisting the attackers were not part of the party’s legitimate structures, Todwong offered an apology to the victims. “We don’t condone such behaviour, and we do apologize to those who were affected,” he said. “The fact that they used our t-shirts to cause that is bad enough.”
He reaffirmed the NRM’s commitment to peaceful political engagement and called for calm as investigations proceed.
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