Anti-riot police on Tuesday morning got involved in running battles with rioters who were protesting the cordoning off of the home of Christopher Kibazanga, the chief campaign agent for Winfred Kiiza in the Kasese Woman Parliamentary by-election.
The Kasese woman by-elections are set for Wednesday August 6 and the race is tight between Winfred Kiiza of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Rehema Muhindo of the ruling NRM party.
Police raided Kibazanga’s home by 4:00am on Tuesday but he refused to open for them hence prompting FDC supporters to assemble there.
Anti-riot police was called in at about 8:00am when the rioters started pelting stones and bricks in protest of the police action.
A source in the police who spoke on condition of anonymity said it is suspected there are FDC bouncers hiding in Kibazanga’s house. This source said that police will not leave until Kibazanga opens and a search is carried out.
Close to 50 FDC youth brigade members were netted from Rock Gardens Lodge, just 100 metres from Kibazanga’s home. Ten other people among the rioters were arrested at the scene as unconfirmed reports indicated that a police officer was injured by a bow in Nyakasanga, a suburb of Kasese town. These are part of the 42 people including 36 men and six women, who were driven to Fort Portal and detained there.
According to Amin Ader, son of former President Idi Amin, FDC has brought 1200 youth brigade members most of who are from West Nile to guard Kiiza’s votes from being tampered with.
There was teargas everywhere in Kasese town as police tried to disperse the angry rioters. Business was paralyzed in Kizungu, Nyakasanga and Kigoro areas of Nyamwamba Division.
Police and the Electoral Commission had warned they would arrest all the people from outside Kasese who may temper with the election process. FDC top officials, chief mobiliser Major General Mugisha Muntu and Secretary General Alice Alaso, were the only ones granted access to Kibazanga’s compound.
Kibazanga, who is also a brother to the Rwenzururu King Charles Wesley Mumbere, told URN reporter on phone that his royal guards informed him of the police raid at 3:30am before they started knocking at 4:00am
Kibanzanga, who claims he has 10 people including visitors, dependants and his children inside the house, said he could not open because the police officers failed to show either a search warrant or an arrest warrant.
The Western Regional Police Commander Wilson Kwanya and other police chiefs declined to give details claiming that there is no action so far taken as per their mission.
