Police have used teargas to disperse supporters of the National Unity Platform who had gathered at Kawempe Growers to welcome their presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu. Police were trying to stop the crowds from blocking the main Bombo road, on which the playground is located.
In response to the teargas, some youths threw stones at the police, who also responded with more teargas. But despite the teargas, this has not stopped Kyagulanyi and his supporters from arriving at the venue to kickstart his first day’s rally.
Before the teargas, there had been a heavy deployment of the police and the military at the scheduled venue. Some of the roads had also been blocked by police, including the one accessing the National Unity Platform headquarters at Makerere Kavule.
However, the security personnel were only directing the NUP supporters to the appropriate positions to stand while awaiting their candidate. This had caused heavy traffic congestion in Bwaise as excited NUP supporters chanting their party slogans narrowed the Bombo Road highway.
At Kawempe Growers Playground, where Kyagulanyi is holding one of his two rallies for today, thousands of supporters were already gathered there hours before his arrival. Meanwhile, at Kanyanya, near where Kyagulanyi will hold his second rally, some NRM supporters have placed posters of Faridah Nambi, the party aspirant for Kawempe North, and Yoweri Museveni, the presidential candidate.
These supporters are chanting NRM slogans , and the police are just looking at them without interference. It’s not known whether this will cause a confrontation when NUP supporters try to access their venue.
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