{UAH} How security tracked down masterminds of violence during Bobi Wine protests

Following the nasty protests that broke up after the arrest of National Unity Platform presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi last week, several people suspected to be the masterminds of the widespread protests.

The protests spontaneously started when news of Kyagulanyi's arrest went viral and in the resultant melee, bonfires were lit whereas some property was vandalized by the protesters before security reigned in on them.

In some of the videos that went viral, one of the protesters was seen hitting a police officer with a hammer whereas others were seen beating and undressing people dressed in the ruling National Resistance yellow colours as well as vandalizing vehicles with Museveni and NRM stickers.

However, the worse turned to the worst when security that included both the army and police intervened and fired teargas and several rounds of bullets leaving over 40 people dead and many others injured.

The Nile Post has learnt that whereas social media enabled members of the public to capture events as they unfolded in the various parts of the country where the protests happened, it was also used in equal measures by security to crack down on some of the masterminds of the violence.

"The videos and pictures shared online helped us to track down some of the people depicted in the violence. The moment we got the pictures and videos of them doing the acts, we were able to identify them with our sources on ground and we went on picking one by one from their places of work and residents," a security source who preferred anonymity told this website.

In the resultant operation to crack the whip on the masterminds of the violence, Ben Kasozi, a man captured on camera hitting a police officer with a hammer was arrested from his home.

Others were the two men captured on video supplying old car tyres to rioters in the city during the two-day nasty protests.

On Sunday, security arrested three men captured in a video undressing people, especially those dressed in NRM yellow attire during the protests.

"Remember the hooligans on Burton Street, who were attacking people in yellow and forcing, especially women to undress? They are now guests of the state. They will have their day in court," the Senior Presidential Press Secretary, Don Wanyama tweeted on Sunday.

According to the security source, CCTV cameras were also of much use in the operation to arrest the suspects believed to have masterminded the violence.

The source told the Nile Post that the CCTV cameras installed in most towns and cities in the country came in handy to capture events as they unfolded on the day and the people behind the protests.

"The CCTV cameras helped us identify the faces of the masterminds but also track their movements. The information was supplied to our informants on the ground who they reported back to the joint security team that later swung into action to make arrests."

Earlier on Thursday, President Museveni scolded the protesters, reminding them that they were playing with fire.

"They have entered an area of fighting we know very well. Whoever started it will regret it. Those who have been attacking NRM people in Kampala will soon lose that appetite. You will see the uniform of NRM and won't touch it. Even if they abandon it, you won't touch it. They want to create violence so that elections are not held, however, elections will continue and those fighting will lose. They will answer for the crimes they have committed,"Museveni said while addressing NRM leaders in Kotido.

The President accused the protesters of being foreign-backed by individuals who are jealousy of Uganda's stability.

"Some of these groups are being used by outsiders; the homosexuals and other groups outside there who don't like the stability and independence of Uganda but will discover what they are looking for," he said.

On Sunday, Robert Kyagulanyi accused government of being behind the violence that erupted following his arrest.

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"When a man is stung by a bee, he doesn't set off to destroy all beehives"

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