MP Cecilia Ogwal blocked as Police battles rowdy residents in Soroti

Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in Soroti blocked the Dokolo District Woman MP, Cecilia Ogwal from accessing Soroti Sports Ground.

Ogwal had been invited by her counterpart, Joan Alobo Achom, the Soroti City Woman MP to officiate at the belated Women’s Day celebrations in Soroti City. But the function was blocked by the Police who claimed that the event was unlawful and possess security threat to the business community.

Ogwal told Journalists that the security deployment was uncalled for. She noted that the Women’s Day celebration is not a political activity that would attract hundreds of armed personnel in the city centre.

Peter Pex Paak, the Soroti Resident City Commissioner- RCC said that the function was called off by the organizing committee after the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among got engaged in other official duties.

According to Paak, the organizing committee had recommended the function to be officiated by Among, but the Soroti City Woman MP, Alobo opted for Ogwal. He added that the committee didn’t have sufficient funds to host the women among other gaps.

On Thursday night, the East Kyoga Regional Police Spokesman, Oscar Ageca said in a statement that the function had been called off because the city authorities didn’t clear the venue to host the women.

After his statement, Policemen sealed off the venue for the planned day celebrations. By Friday morning, there was heavy deployment along the streets, the Sports Ground and the public gardens where the women were expected to converge first before matching to the Sports Ground.

By the time of filing this story, several women were seen engaging with the Police on the streets and public gardens. The Police later fired tear gas as they battled rowdy residents

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