National Unity Platform (NUP) president Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine has castigated police for firing teargas and bullets at his wife Barbie Itungo.
On August 26, police reportedly disrupted an event in Kikamulo Health centre III in Nakaseke District.
IN BARBIE KYAGULANYI’S WORDS…
[August 26] morning, I travelled to Kikamulo Health Centre III in Nakaseke District to deliver charitable items on behalf of Caring Hearts Uganda, a charitable organisation. This is an event about which Hon. Allan Mayanja of Nakaseke Central had informed in advance District authorities including the DPC Mr. Kwesiga John and the RDC Mr. Nayebale Kyamuzigita who according to Hon. Mayanja did not indicate any objection to it.
In the company of Hon. Brenda Nabukenya (Woman MP, Luwero District), Hon. Allan Mayanja (Nakaseke Central) and Hon. Lukalidde Hassan Kirumira (MP, Katikamu South), we arrived at the Health Center only to find heavy deployment of security officers commanded by the DPC Mr. Kwesiga.
Also present were pregnant women and teenage mothers who had come to receive some of the relief items. As soon as the MPs got out of their vehicles to speak to the DPC, police officers immediately started firing teargas and bullets at us and into the health centre.
This caused commotion as pregnant women, children and other people who had gathered in proper observance of Covid-19 guidelines fled in different directions to escape the unprovoked terror.
Two ladies including an NTV Journalist were subsequently injured by teargas canisters and bullets fired at close range by the security officers. I was quickly evacuated from the scene and driven towards Bombo Town as police officers pursued us.
Once in Bombo Town, we found a heavy security roadblock at which our vehicle was blocked and we were then ordered to return “wherever you are coming from”. We were forced to make a U-turn, and then asked to follow security officers in plain clothes who were travelling in a white Toyota Corolla.
There was a quick change of mind when After a few minutes, the officers abruptly stopped and ordered us to make another U-turn and proceed again with our journey to Kampala.
We did as instructed and reached home safely. Unfortunately, we were forced to abandon at the health centre the truck carrying the items we had gone to deliver.
Community members carried out some of these items and left them with one of their leaders. These items included maternity beds, re-usable sanitary pads, ‘mama’ birth kits, jerricans of sanitizer, liquid soap, bar soap, basins, and clothes for new-born babies. Many of these items were meant for teenage girls who got pregnant after schools were closed during the first Covid-19 lockdown.
It is disheartening to see officers who should have provided security committing violence against the same vulnerable people they were supposed to protect, in an unexplained effort to block good samaritans from coming to their aid.
Despite the harrowing experience, we are currently engaging with relevant authorities in the district to ensure that the charitable items at least reach their intended beneficiaries.
Bobi Wine has now castigated government for failing to do its job and for disrupting his wife’s attempts to help the Museveni administration.
“The regime has failed to execute its mandate of ensuring the health and general welfare of its most vulnerable citizens. The Ministry of Education led by Madam Janet Museveni has on several occasions promised to provide school children with basics like sanitary pads, only to later turn around and claim there is no money,” said Bobi Wine.
“As a result, many school girls from underprivileged families continue to drop out of school for lack of sanitary pads. Now beset with shame, the regime is keen on ensuring that no one else fulfils the basic duties it has failed to fulfil.”
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