Hotel in Kitgum refuses to host People Power consultation meeting

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Jaflo Garden Hotel in Kitgum municipality has turned down a booking by People Power movement to hold their consultation meeting.

Sebastian Ogoni, the people power regional youth coordinator for Northern Uganda says that they had planned to hold the meeting on Tuesday and had already made a down payment of 100,000 shillings out of 900,000 shillings for the venue.

He, however, says they received calls from the hotel management on Friday notifying them that security personnel had raided their premises and ordered them to cancel the booking.

Solomon Onono, the manager Jaflo Gardens Hotel confirmed that they turned down the booking for fear that their business may be affected by the activities of the people power movement.

He also confirmed receiving payment that they had negotiated for the one-day meeting through mobile money. Onono says that they are yet to refund the money.

Onono disclosed that they also learnt that the team had planned to host 2,000 delegates which is beyond their capacity to accommodate.

“Our fear is that what they are coming for is politics and will affect our business. We have also consulted with police and they told us that the team haven’t approached them,” Onono told URN in an interview on Saturday.

William Komakech, the Kitgum Resident District Commissioner denied ordering management of the hotel not to host the meeting.

He says in any case the team approached the hotel, they failed to notify the security teams in the district as one of the prerequisite enshrined in the public order management act adding that the meeting would have been unlawful.

Last month, the Electoral Commission cleared Bobi Wine to start countrywide consultations that kicks off next Monday in Kyadondo East constituency and six other districts in northern Uganda.

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