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John Katumba says he was brutalized by police and the army as he tried to reach out to the population during the presidential campaigns
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Former independent presidential candidate John Katumba says he is in pain stemming from the extensive torture and beating he underwent at the hands of government security agencies during the presidential campaigns for the January 14th elections.
Katumba says that during his presidential campaign, he was brutalized by police and the army as he was trying to reach out to the population.
Katumba who stood as an independent candidate for the presidential seat narrates that as he tried to canvas for votes from the different parts of the country, he had several confrontations with police as they tried to block him accessing some places and says this came with injuries, more especially in his back.
He cites the day when he was beaten by police in Fort Portal and Kabarole after a disagreement with police on the route to use.
“With a small disagreement on which route to use while I was campaigning in Fort Portal, I was kicked, slapped and also beaten using a gun,” Katumba says.
Katumba says that police used to hold him in a manner that exposed him to internal injuries that are exposing him to risks.
He says that he does not want to bother any one for his medication bills as he is fighting for his own life hence resorting to sell his books to seek medical attention whenever need arises.
According to Katumba who never wanted to reveal detailed information about his health status and which hospital he attends for medication, he says on every visit he makes, he spends between 500,000 to one million shillings which he says is quite high.
Katumba wrote and published a book towards the Election day in January 2021 which he says was to inspire fellow youths towards being focused on their goals in life.
He says that his book dubbed “The untold story of John Katumba,” has been selling like hot cakes since its launch at a price of 50,000 shillings per copy and it is this money that he will be using to get medication abroad due to the persistent pain.
He was popular among his supporters with the slogan Katumba Oyee and this became the buzz word wherever he went to campaign.
He therefore says he is not going to sit back and watch his supporters and fellow youths tortured by authorities in detention places.
Katumba is not the only presidential candidate to lament the violence from the elections as he reveals his plans of seeking medication from abroad to nurse his injuries back to normalcy.
The FDC former presidential candidate Patrick Oboi Amuriat also revealed the same when he said that with some of his campaign team members, they are going through pain and planning to seek medical attention abroad anytime they manage to mobilise funds.
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