Teargas, Live Bullets Rock Mbale As Police Disperses Bobi Wine Supporters

Police have used live bullets and teargas to disperse People Power activists from BCU FM premises on Naboa road in Mbale city where Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, the president of the National Unity Platform-NUP party was expected to appear on a talk show.

Mr Kyagulanyi was scheduled to appear on one of the local radio stations for a talk show from 9am to 11am.

The NUP supporters donning red started converging outside the Bugisu Cooperative Union (BCU) radio station premises as early as 7:am as they chanted People Power slogan. Police was alerted and officers were deployed to disperse them.

A team of heavily armed police backed by anti-riot gear stormed the station premises and used live bullets and teargas to disperse the activists before sealing off the area.

Samuel Okiror, the in Charge of the Field Force Unit in Mbale, said police intercepted a van of carrying the supporters of the legislator and five others people.

He said they were still hunting for Kyagulanyi, who is believed to be holed up at undisclosed location in town.

According to insider information from BCU FM, Kyagulanyi was expected to appear on their weekly political show that airs between 9:00am to 12:00pm every Saturday together with Manjiya County Member of Parliament, John Baptist Nambeshe and other panelists.

However, on Thursday morning, the Mbale District Security Committee chaired by the Resident District Commissioner, Sulaiman Baraza Ogajo summoned the station Manager, Godfrey Kakungulu and cautioned him against hosting the legislator.

They argued that the legislator would attract crowds that would disrupt the tranquility in the town.

The manager reportedly tried to negotiate with security to deploy and keep away the crowds to allow the talk show to proceed as planned in vain.

The Manager couldn’t be reached by the time of filing this story.