UGANDA: Is it war or campaigns?

By Baker Batte, KAMPALA Uganda

In just 16 days of campaigns this month, police sheer brute force has failed to break the statement over the enforcement of the Electoral Commission-sanctioned guidelines limiting attendance at rallies to 200 people during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instead, brute force has triggered a wave of violence that peaked last week with the ar- rest of National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, accused of addressing a mammoth rally of more than 200 people in the eastern district of Luuka.

Officially, presidential campaigns began on November 9. On November 18 and 19 (the 10th and 11th day of campaigning), campaigns were darkened by the arrest and incarceration of Bobi Wine, triggering protests in the capital Kampala and the towns of Jinja, Mbale, Mukono, Luweero and Masaka.

In all, police confirmed on Monday that an estimated 45 people were killed, shot fatally by security agents, scores injured and hundreds arrested. But days before Bobi Wine’s arrest, clashes on the campaign trail between police and opposition presidential candidates underscored the runaway tensions across country.

Over a 16-day period, opposition presidential candidates have made several stops across the country and on each stop, many have clashed with armed police aggressively enforcing the EC-stipulated standard operating procedures (SOPs) meant to slow the spread of Covid-19. Police have fired live bullets, teargas, canned and battered people to disperse huge crowds of more than 200 people at mainly opposition campaign rallies.

Though Bobi Wine has borne the harshest brunt of police brutality, other candidates have not been spared either. Before he went on the campaign trail in the western districts of Ntoroko and Bundibugyo districts on November 18, former security minister and now independent presidential candidate Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde first said a little prayer a day before.

In a tweet, he said, “Today we are in Ntoroko & Bundibugyo districts. We pray for His guidance as we embark on our journey. We hope that there will be no interruptions like we have seen over the last few days.”

Despite the prayer, police still blocked him from entering Bundibugyo district. Last Tuesday, Tumukunde was confronted by police as he tried to meet supporters in Fort Portal. Violent confrontations with police have been a much-noted part of the opposition campaigns. Speaking to journalists on November 17, Tumukunde demanded to know who is in charge of the electoral process in Uganda.

“We can’t tell if we are running on police rules or the EC rules,” Tumukunde said.

He said police has inserted itself into the election campaign, overshadowing the Electoral Commission (EC)

“We have just been in NRM primaries, and there were no rules. How come the rules are in place now? The Bebe Cools are addressing rallies. Is Covid-19 attached to me alone? These are terrible contradictions,” Tumukunde argued.

Musicians, Moses Ssali aka Bebe Cool and Big Eye have been Museveni’s curtain raisers wherever he has cam- paigned so far. They gather people in their hundreds if not thousands, distribute T-shirts and other goodies then March to show support for the NRM presidential candidate who is Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The incumbent president, however, who is seeking to extend his rule to 40 years, avoids big rallies. He addresses smaller meeting, a move his critics say, is designed to en-sure his own safety. All the people, mainly NRM leaders, who attend Museveni’s cam- paign meetings are first tested for Covid-19.

“The situation has changed in western Uganda, the so- called political headquarter of President Museveni. This is what is causing panic. It has become a war theatre. It is not funny at all. I won’t lose my cool,” Tumukunde said.

“What you see are the rough- edged police officers. All you see are soldiers in full combat, denying the public to even wave at you,” Tumukunde said, adding that the most disappointing aspect is that the EC has no boots on the ground.

Interviewed for a comment, EC spokesperson Paul Bukenya said security agencies have a great role to play in the conduct of elections. He said part of that role is to ensure that the electoral process is lawful and safe for everybody. EC officials last week met police, campaign agent, and candidates to discuss the escalating confrontations on the campaign trail.

“If a candidate doesn’t comply with the SOPs, their campaigns will be suspended. It is a concern to us because we did not organize chaos but elections,” Bukenya said. So far Kyagulanyi has borne the harshest brunt of police brutality. His rallies have been dispersed almost every day, supporters beaten and tear- gassed.

Joel Ssenyonyi, the NUP spokesman, said apart from Arua which was peaceful, the rest of the districts on their campaign trail so far, almost 30 districts, have been battle grounds.

“Arua was peaceful because police did what it had to do; provide protection. If it had done the same in other districts, we would not have the mayhem we have today. But I think the Arua crowds scared them. Museveni fears Kyagulanyi’s support, that’s why I think we have been disrupted everywhere we have gone,” Ssenyonyi said.

He said Covid-19 is indeed a problem but it’s just used as a pretext by government to crack down hard on legitimate opposition.

“Museveni doesn’t care about the lives of people; if he did, he wouldn’t let his party hold primaries the way they did. You see the Bebe Cools gathering people and they are not tear-gassed; you mean to say that Covid-19 only affects opposition gatherings?” Ssenyonyi said.

Asked whether Kyagulanyi doesn’t care about peoples’ lives, Ssenyonyi said his candi- date doesn’t invite the people.

“They come by themselves to wave at Kyagulanyi and we can’t do anything about it because we don’t invite them.”

Apart from Alliance for National Transformation’s Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, the rest of the 10 candidates who are challenging Museveni have met police resistance at one point or the other.

Police in Kitgum, Gulu, Soroti and Adjumani among the many places FDC presidential flag bearer Patrick Oboi Amuriat has traversed has tear-gassed or arrested him. The same has happened to DP presidential candidate Norbert Mao and even fringe candidates; Joseph Kabuleta, John Katumba, Willy Mayambala and Nancy Kalembe have had to flex with police.

They all think police is so soft on NRM whose meetings it has never dispersed yet SOPs are flouted every day. But Emmanuel Dombo, the director for Information and Publicity at the National Resistance Movement Secretariat, disagrees with the assertion that police is playing double standards.

“Even though I might sympathize at a personal level, it doesn’t remove the duty of the candidate to become responsible in order to protect the people. No candidate at any time should put the people of Uganda in harm’s way just because they are soliciting for votes...,” Dombo said.

He said NRM should fear Covid more because it has lost two members of parliament to the viral disease. Faith Alupo, the woman MP for Pallisa, and Rehema Watongola the Kamuli Municipality MP, died of Covid-19.

“Why would we celebrate just because police have left our people to be infected in the name of them treating the offenders selectively? It’s not favouring NRM at all because we are losing people and no Ugandan should die just because the police are reckless,” Dombo said.

Fred Enanga, the police spokesman, denied that police is enforcing the Covid-19 SOPs selectively. Speaking to journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Enanga said police will leave no stone unturned in trying to enforce the regulations.

“The IGP has issued orders to all commanders to ensure that no candidate holds illegal assemblies. If they fail to ensure this, then they will have to be answerable,” Enanga said. – The Observer