{UAH} Police, Opposition Leaders Clash in Tororo

Red paper

An Unidentified man was injured on Sunday during clashes between Police and opposition members in Soroti town.

The clashes started after police blocked the opposition leaders from holding a consultative meeting on electoral reforms at Desert Island Hotel.

On Sunday, opposition leaders including Gen. Mugisha Muntu, the FDC President, Dr. Olara Otunu, the UPC president and civil society activist Bishop Zac Niringeye arrived in Soroti for a consultative meeting on electoral reforms.

However, the team was blocked by police from accessing Desert Island hotel, where the meeting was scheduled to take place. Job Wabirwe, the Soroti Police Commander insisted that they wouldn't allow the meeting to take place because they were under strict instructions not to allow it. This came after police blocked a similar meeting from taking place in Mbale town leading to violent clashes.

Angeline Osege, the Soroti district Woman MP and proprietor of Desert Island Hotel was infuriated with the police action and exchanged bitterly with the cops. Angry opposition leaders confiscated a camera from a plain clothed policeman who was capturing the exchange on camera. Police fired teargas to disperse the opposition members, which left one man injured in the skirmishes.

Two opposition officials identified as Jonathan Ebwalu and John Enomu were picked up by police and released without charge. Despite the police conduct, General Mugisha Muntu, the FDC president warned opposition leaders against resorting to violent means to capture power.

Following the botched consultative meeting and heavy police deployment, the opposition leaders sneaked into different churches and addressed the Christians to embrace change by voting President Yoweri Museveni out of power.