Police presence in Kampala city has been stepped up, to avert a planned demonstration allegedly by the opposition Forum for Democratic Change.
The Inspector General of Police Maj. Gen Kale Kaihuram says they have received reliable information that the FDC is planning to disrupt normal life in the City by engaging in acts of disorder and violence under the guise of political protests.
Kaihura says that intelligence reports show that the The FDC party members allegedly plan to walk from different directions in the suburbs of the City in the hope of gathering crowds on the way, blocking roads and highways.
The FDC allegedly plan to retaliate by sparking off an orgy of destruction should the police block their planned protests. The IGP insists police has not been notified about the intended protests.
Grace Turyagumanawe, the The Kampala Regional Police Commander , is commanding the anti riot police. He says they have been planning and monitoring the FDC for a while now. Through their investigations, it has been revealed that the FDC has been carrying out undercover plans for its demonstrations and are now ready to start off.
Turyagumanawe adds that this desperate move is after the party’s previous mobilization attempts were shunned by the population.
The FDC recently told journalists that they have a set of planned demonstrations to take place around the country but did not reveal when they would kick off.
Speaking to URN, the FDC Party spokesman Wafula Ogutu, confirms that they have a set of non provocative planned demonstrations which are picking up slowly. However, they are under no obligation by law to notify the police of their intentions since it is their constitutional right.
Ogutu argues that their demonstrations are meant to try and avert the future crisis as is the case in North Africa. He adds that Government needs to know that there are things going wrong in the police, governance, Parliament and Army.
He also warns the police against using any kind of violence to quell their demonstration, saying their individual names will be registered in a list that will in the future be forwarded to the International Criminal Court for trial and prosecution.
A day after the Presidential results for the 2011 elections were announced, the FDC party President Dr. Kiiza Besigye called for peaceful protests.
Besigye argued that both the presidential and parliamentary votes were a sham, with ballot stuffing and intimidation. When pressed on who would lead the demonstrators,
Besigye said it would be lead by what he called the people’s platform.
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