Security forces led by the Uganda Police Force have this Wednesday morning raided the National Unity Platform party (NUP) headquarters in Kamwokya, Kampala.
The area which houses presidential hopeful Bobi Wine’s main office was stormed by security forces at around 11:30am.
The security forces picked promotional materials including T-shirts, umbrellas, badges among others before loading them on waiting cars.
Kyagulanyi had just concluded addressing the press about NUP’s planned strategy of traversing the whole country to popularise his presidential candidature.
Defence spokesperson Brigadier Flavia Byekwaso said she was yet to be informed about the reason for today’s operation.
“Let me consult with those in charge of deployment and revert,” she said.
All those who were found inside the party headquarters are not being allowed to leave the premises except journalists.
ChimpReportsunderstands security forces intend to enforce a ban on wearing Red Berets by People Power activists.
In 2019, Uganda’s armed forces threatened to prosecute people found in possession of military accessories, insignia, decoration and uniform – including the red beret used as a symbol of the opposition movement, People Power.
“The dress code for the UPDF has been gazetted,” said then Defence spokesperson, Brig Richard Karemire.
“The action was endorsed by the top organs of the army which also commended the dress committee for concluding the task assigned to it years back. This development is a milestone in the long history of the UPDF,” he added.
According to the Uganda Gazette of September 18, 2019, “members of the public are hereby informed that unless granted authority by a competent military authority it is prohibited to sell, offer, or expose for sale, wear or use any uniform so nearly resembling the uniform of the defence forces and likely to deceive the public.”
The People Power’s party uniform is a red shirt, black trousers and a red beret.
Bobi Wine rejected the military’s warning and vowed to continue using the Red Beret.
Red flags were first used in the 1848 French Revolution to represent “the blood of angry workers” and it has remained the colour for the political left – being taken up by socialist, communist and other left-wing radicals.
Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) used the red beret to represent the blood shed by those who have died during the struggle for economic freedom.
Meanwhile, the military police remain heavily deployed in downtown Kampala.
Brig Byekwaso said the deployment means “there is an ongoing operation” whose details she was yet to obtain.
src: ChimpReports
