A public rally called to discuss and form a new political party in Soroti town on Sunday ended in chaos after police fired teargas to disperse the gathering.
The rally that was due to take place at Independence Ground failed to take off after police deployed heavily at the venue as early as 6am. Many people who turned up were sent away even before the scheduled 2pm when the public gathering was due to begin.
The police kept saying they had obtained orders from above to block the gathering without explaining who had issued the order. Aruk Maruk, the District Police Commander, told URN that there was no cause for alarm when asked to explain the reason for the heavy police deployment at a planned peaceful gathering.
However, chaos started when Jonathan Ebwalu and Peter Ojur, the organizers of the rally turned up at the venue at around 2pm and insisted that they would go on with the planned rally despite the insistence by police who demanded that everyone should leave. The confrontation attracted a few more hundreds of people who expressed support with the organizers of the meeting saying they should stay.
The police then began firing bullets and hurling tear gas canisters at the crowd prompting some people to throw stones at the police in the ensued commotion.
Ebwalu and Ojur declined to leave the venue. Ebwalu said he had acquired the necessary authority and also paid 75,000 shillings to hire the venue from the municipal council. He was however overpowered by police as the DPC managed to escort him out of the ground.
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The confrontation with police attracted several reactions from members of the public who witnessed the commotion. Peter Ojota, a taxi driver said he saw no reason for the police to deploy heavily and even fire bullets and tear gas at the crowd.
Emmanuel Apedel, a trader in the town who had turned up for the rally said the police had abused their right to freedom of association. He argued that there are so many political parties in the country and wondered why they could be blocked from initiating a process to form their own.
A few more people in the crowd could be heard saying that the violence by police was a blessing in disguise for the formation of the party saying it had given them the momentum they require.
The DPC declined to comment on the incident but he could be heard rebuking the police officer for firing bullets at the crowd.
Ebwalu, one of the organizers of the rally has insisted that their plan to consult the public and form the party would go on but did not specify how they would proceed after the incident.
The party whose name and leadership is yet to be named would become the first to be formed in the entire eastern region. While other regions of the country have political parties associated with them, Teso and the entire eastern region has since independence not originated any political party.
Ebwalu who just resigned his Treasurer position with the ruling NRM party argued that the formation for a political party in eastern Uganda would also help the region improve its participation in the affairs of the country. He said currently, the people of Teso and eastern Uganda are largely shy to claim and demand their share of the country’s position and resources due to absence of bold leadership and political block representation.
He cited that other parties such as NRM, FDC, UPC and DP, which he said originate from western, northern and central regions respectively leaving out eastern with no political party.
A new party for eastern Uganda is likely to cause changes in the political dynamics of the country but Mike Mukula, the NRM party Vice chairperson for Eastern Uganda and Soroti Municipality MP has said he still has faith in the NRM because it has a national attribute. He warned that any party seeming to have a sectarian orientation is bound to fail. He however added that the country has an open competitive field that allows a party with the most appealing credential to attract more followers and win in elections.
