Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, professionally known as Bobi Wine, yesterday suspended his campaigns after police shot one of his aides and wounded a police bodyguard identified as Wilfred Kato Kubai.
Mr Kyagulanyi, who is running for presidency on National Unity Platform (NUP) party ticket, told journalists in Kayunga that he was compelled to suspend his campaigns as a protest against “the continued brutality and killing of his supporters.”
Bobi’s right-hand man and Producer, Daniel Oyerwot, aka Dan Magic, survived with mutilated lips as police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse Bobi Wine’s supporters at Kyampisi Trading Centre, Kayunga District.
The injured were rushed to Nazigo Health Centre III before being moved to Mulago National Referral Hospital for better management.
Bobi Wine’s car was also shot at as he attempted to bypass a military blockade as he arrived in Jinja City for his second rally.
At the old Nile Bridge, police and army personnel who had been heavily deployed diverted him towards Budondo Village where he was set to address his supporters. But after the diversion, Mr Kyagulanyi tried to use force to access Jinja City through one of the roads that had been blocked by police and the army. The army instantly shot his car tyres and shattered the windscreen.
In the midst of the row, Mr Kyagulanyi and his supporters kept yelling at security for blocking his campaign meetings.
The NUP leader has accused the Justice Simon Byabakama-led Electoral Commission (EC) of keeping silent even as police continue to target his supporters. He asked his supporters to remain calm and indicated that he would seek a meeting with EC today to discuss the way forward.
“We have been brutalised and killed but the EC has continuously remained silent on these matters. Do they want me killed before they come out? Are they even in charge of this election or they are hoodwinking Ugandans?” Mr Kyagulanyi said shortly after the Jinja shooting.
“Over 100 people were killed two weeks ago during the riots, although the government only mentioned 54. I was abducted at the nomination centre right in front of EC, my campaigns have been blocked and just yesterday, five people were killed. In all this, EC has been quiet. Tomorrow we shall go and face them and demand for these answers,” he added.
Tuesday’s shootings in Kayunga and Jinja came exactly five days after EC wrote to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Martins Okoth Ochola, asking him to stop blocking presidential candidates and indicated that they have a right to move and access the designated campaign venues, and hold their campaign meetings, in compliance with the Covid-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as issued by the Commission.
Mr Paul Bukenya, the acting EC spokesperson, told Daily Monitor last evening that the EC had seen images of the confrontation between police and Mr Kyagulanyi and that they were ready to receive his complaints.