{UAH} DP press release

Correct Version

For Immediate Release
Gulu, Uganda
Date: 11/08/2019

Attn:
All Media Houses
Print, Broadcast, Online

PRESS RELEASE ON THE INCIDENT BETWEEN UGANDA POLICE AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN OMORO DISTRICT.

The Democratic Party Leadership at the National Level has been traversing the country in the past two weeks. This multi-layered tour is intended to listen to her branches, build consensus around certain issues, and build capacity of her structures for leadership and mobilisation in the run up to the 2021 Elections.

The team which included the President General Norbert Mao, Secretary General Dr Gerald Siranda, The National Chairman Dr Mayambala Kiwanuka, National Youth Leader Christopher Okidi, National Youth and Women Secretaries Rita Nakyanzi and Amony Francesca respectively had successful meetings of branch leaders in the Eastern Region and in Tochi County part of Omoro without much incident.

However on 8th August, 2019 as expected when part of the team led by the Party's Secretary General and National Youth Leader reached Omoro District, police blocked their meeting which was scheduled to take place at the District Council Hall in Lalogi starting from 9 AM, and blocked over 180 participants from accessing the venue, although the participants defied and remained hanging around the venue. The fact that this was an (Inter Party Organisation for Dialogue) IPOD supported meeting could not even help. The Acting District Police Commander but substantially the head operations a one named Mr Esiru and the DISO (District Internal Security Officer) named Mr Aisu David who were the officers on ground said they were blocking the meeting on the orders of the Regional Police Commander who said they were not notified about the meeting even when the meeting by its very own nature was an internal meeting exempted from notice under the very law they purported to be enforcing-The Public Order Management Act, which even has an harmonised interpretation commissioned by the Prime Minister which they ignored. The Acting District Police Commander even assaulted our National Youth Leader Christopher Okidi who gently but assertively was trying to explain to them, that they were wrong in their interpretation of the POMA in regard to the meeting.

It took up to 7 hours of protracted haggling involving the Office of the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Office of the Inspector General of Police for them to clear the meeting, which they did tactically at 4 PM, knowing the venue has to be closed by 5 PM and in their mind they had tactically failed the meeting. This behaviour of police is in bad faith, unconstitutional and confirms the popular view that Uganda Police is partisan and that security agencies are part of a complex network of President Museveni's patronage. Why this should worry Ugandans even more is that in barely a year the country goes into polls and this action presages what they should expect from police in elections in 2021.

We condemn hooliganism by the Uganda Police, and as the Democratic Party, we shall take a firm stand in addressing such hooliganism including individually prosecuting such errant police and security officials. Police should be aware that with the coming into force of the Human Rights Enforcement Act of 2019, the landscape in policing has changed, they now have to make a choice between upholding human rights and orders from above with grave consequences, and they cannot choose both.

Thanks

Signed
Dr Siranda Gerald Blacks
DP Secretary General

Sent from Gook's iPhone

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