Teargas and bullets rocked Lira City on Saturday afternoon as police engaged in running battled with the National Unity Platform –NUP supporters led by their President, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine.
Kyagulanyi was in Lira for a Talk show on Radio War and launch of the party’s mobilization team. On Friday evening, the Radio station management issued a notice indicating that the planned talk show had been called off on grounds that Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) had not approved it.
“Unfortunately, UCC wouldn’t allow us to carry on with the talk show reason being that the talking points weren’t sent on time and we were to present clearance from security, which we were not having at the time we placed our request.
Therefore, with reasons above the talk show, which was to take place at Radio Wa is cancelled. We do apologize for that as Radio Wa, we have tried our best but left wondering,” read the notice.
However, on Saturday morning, the politician who was in the company of the party spokesperson, Joel Senyonyi and other party members made their way through the city but were blocked before reaching Radio Wa. Police fired tear gas and bullets to disperse members of the public who were following the convoy.
The Lira District Police Commander, Godfrey Abigaba has not yet comment as he kept saying that he was busy. George Ogwang, who was on traveling on a Boda boda sustained injuries on his face after being hit by a teargas canister. Ogwang says that he was just returning from Care Uganda Medical clinic in Teso Bar, a city suburb.
Dr. Lina Zedriga Waru, NUP’s Vice President for Northern Region, says that the police deployment partially affected their program although they had held several meetings already.
The NUP team was eventually escorted out of the city without any opportunity to hold a major rally.
