The leadership of the National Unity Platform (NUP) has vowed to continue rallying its supporters ahead of January’s polls – despite a clampdown of rallies by security agencies.
Party flag bearer in the presidential race Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert says efforts are on to devise other ways of reaching out to Ugandans following the banning of campaigns in Kampala and several other cities and districts around the country by the Electoral Commission.
The electoral season has seen several clashes between supporters of opposition NUP and security forces largely due to enforcement of Standard Operating Procedures designed to control the spread of Covid – 19.
In November, several dozen supporters and other Ugandans were gunned down across the country in riots that followed the arrest of the party’s presidential candidate Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert. Many are still nursing wounds.
While speaking at the party’s headquarters in Kamwokya, Kyagulanyi and other party leaders condemned violence from either side of the divide.
“We shall continue campaigning and coming out to meet you our voters by any means, whether scientifically, technologically or physically we shall make sure we reach you,” he said.
It emerged that another personal bodyguard to Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert Ashiraf Sseremba had been knocked down – allegedly by a police truck in Kalerwe, moments before the press conference.
Sseremba is the second bodyguard to be knocked down under unclear circumstances over the past two days.
NUP has reached to security agencies and urged them to desist from committing human rights violations against the party’s supporters.
Kyagulanyi has equally condemned security’s brutal crackdown against journalists trailing the NUP candidate.
The party leadership described as propaganda reports that several members were defecting to the ruling NRM en-mass.
