Ssemujju driven back home from nomination by police

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Kira municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has been driven back to his home in Kirinnya – Bukasa immediately after he was nominated to contest for the same seat in next year’s elections.

Ssemujju who defied the ban by the Electoral Commission on public gatherings and processions was briefly arrested at Kira Division Police headquarters in a bid to break up his long convoy of cars.

Thousands of supporters turned up at Ssemujju’s home wearing his campaign T-shirts and overalls chanting his name and FDC slogans. They paralyzed traffic on the busy Jinja road for a while. In order to stop many of them from proceeding to Wakiso district headquarters where nominations have been taking place, police fired teargas to disperse the largely peaceful supporters.

Speaking moments after he had been successfully nominated, Ssemujju said, there was no way he was going to obey guidelines that seek to sideline the people he represents. He added that because government insisted on moving ahead with the 2021 elections, they must prepare to deal with them, because, they will try as much as possible to have a normal campaign with mass gatherings and processions.

Ssemujju called upon police to release all his supporters who have been arrested and detained at Kira division police station, Kasangati Police station and at Wakiso police station, because according to him, they have committed no crime.

“I wonder why they are arresting our people; if the problem is crowds, why don’t they go and throw teargas in markets where thousands are gathered. These fellows are as if they are drunk. I seek this nomination on behalf of the people of Kira and you should allow them to express themselves throughout the process,” Ssemujju said.

The police who were in charge of the operation declined to say anything to reporters.

********

URN