By Abubakar Bin Siraji
MBALE CITY
Police in Mbale City on Wednesday morning, 31st July, 2024 fired teargas and live bullets to disperse the supporters of National Unity Platform (NUP) party led by NUP party president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine and NUP vice president for Bugisu sub region John Baptist Nambeshe.
Mr Kyagulanyi stealthily entered Mbale and had talks with officials of Inzu Ya Masaba at their headquarters in Malukhu. Police escorted him out of the city with tear gas.
The NUP supporters donning red started converging outside the Inzu Ya Masaba cultural Institution premises as early as 10 am as they chanted Bobi Bobi slogan. Police was alerted and officers were deployed to disperse them.
Police engaged the NUP supporters in running battles in the city as they fired teargas canisters and bullets. However no one was arrested In the process.
According to NUP coordinators in Bugisu sub region, Mr Kyagulanyi, was hosted by MP Manjiya county and Vice president of the region Hon. John Baptist Nambeshe to meet the officials of Inzu Ya Masaba and to check on the families of the prisoners in Bugema, Makudui and Bufumbo.
Sources inside Mbale City security, said that they stopped hosting Mr Kyagulanyi because they didn’t seek permission from police.
“We don’t have Bobi wine’s program. He should not disturb us. We are very serious on this. People in Mbale are enjoying peace, so they don’t need to be disturbed,” they said.
However, one of the coordinators of NUP party in Mbale, Mr. Fazali Nabende said that security has no mandate to stop Mr Kyagulanyi from meeting the Bamasaba and NUP supporters.
“We will not be intimidated and security has no mandate to stop us from hosting our leader, in Mbale and for meeting cultural leaders,” he said.
