KAMPALA – Despite police blocking their first presidential consultative meeting in Gayaza on Monday, the People Power movement has vowed to continue their nationwide consultations as earlier planned.
Addressing the press after meeting cancellation, the executive secretary of pressure movement David Louis Rubongogya said nothing will stop them from carrying on their consultation despite all the challenges.
Bobi Wine who was scheduled to hold a consultative meeting from his constituency, the Kyadondo East, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Gayaza, Catholic Parish was on Monday blocked by police regardless clearance by Electoral Commission.
In efforts to go on with the meeting, Bobi Wine and his colleagues were arrested and taken to Naggalama police station where they were later released late in the night.
In a statement issued on Monday evening, police blamed the legislator for not meeting all the necessary procedures like “to notify the relevant local councils and the police of the area.”
“We are aware that the roadmap for the first phase of consultations, by Hon. Robert Kyagulanyi, an Aspiring Presidential Candidate for the 2021 Presidential Elections, were supposed to commence today, 06/01/2019, from Wakiso district and get extended to the districts of Gulu, Lira, Adjuman, Yumbe, Arua and Zombo districts,” says police.
Rubongogya insisted that the pressure group fulfilled all the necessary requirements and the other conditions such as availing sniffer dogs and fire extinguishers are supposed to be provided by police.
“We went and complied with all the requirements, secured the venue… in most cases we had to spend a lot of money booking the venues,” he said.
He insisted that “In People Power, we are going to continue with this programme on the dates as we have set out. It is incumbent upon the police to abide by the law.”
