Nakasongola, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There has been a bitter exchange between Nakasongola District Police Commander and National Unity Platform Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi this morning as he is being chased from Migyera town council this morning.
NUP Presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu slept in his car along the road in Migyera town council in Nakasongola district after he was blocked from accessing any hotel for accommodation.
Kyagulanyi had planned to sleep over in Migyera town council and then in the morning proceed to Kyankwanzi district where he is expected to campaign today.
However on reaching Migyera town at 9 pm, policemen and soldiers of Uganda People’s Defense Forces commanded by Officer In Charge of Migyera Police Station only identified as Byaruhanga blocked the road.
Kyagulanyi pleaded with security personnel allow him to proceed to Masindi or Hoima to find accommodation there but policemen refused saying that it was curfew time.
Kyagulanyi and his team decided to spend the night in cars whereas others slept outside in cold.
This morning at around 7am, the Policemen commanded by Nakasongola District Police Commander Patience Namara besieged Kyagulanyi who was briefing his team and ordered him to vacate the area with immediate effect.
Namara told Kyagulanyi that is expected in Nakasongola on Saturday and he will have enough time to talk to people as scheduled.
But Kyagulanyi charged at DPC Namara accusing her of being indisciplined and mistreating him to an extent that he forced him to sleep on the road.
“ Don’t be rude to us, we are Ugandans,” Kyagulanyi is quoted fuming to the DPC. “Stop treating me like a foreigner. Be an officer of the law, I slept in a car and am briefing my team. Don’t provoke us, be disciplined Namara. “
Namara ordered Kyagulanyi to brief his team and leave quickly but his supporters booed to her.
Kyagulanyi later told his team to refrain from engaging any police personnel because they want to provoke him to react angrily and frame them as criminals.
He directed his team to board their cars and proceed to Kyankwanzi where they will get breakfast along the way citing hostility in the town.
After the exchange, Kyagulanyi and his team later boarded the cars before they proceeded to Kyankwanzi for campaigns.
According to the campaign schedule, Kyagulanyi is expected to campaign in Nakasongola on Saturday. However, there is already tension across the area with security personnel already on the ground ahead of the campaigns.
By the time of compiling the report, NUP Parliamentary candidate for Budyebo county Nathan Musoke was meeting pleading with them to campaign in Migyera town in vain.
The Security officers instead want Kyagulanyi to campaign in Lwabyata sub-county which is sparsely populated.
In Nakasongola town, NUP candidate for Nakasongola County Ivan Kyeyune pleaded with security personnel to allow Kyagulanyi campaign at playground located at Nakasongola RC primary school but this has been denied.
Security personnel instead deployed prisoners to clear the cattle market ground at Lwamutoogo and prepare it for Kyagulanyi to address people there.
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