Presidential candidates Gen. Mugisha Muntu of the Alliance for National Transformation and Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde running on the independent ticket have both decided to suspend their presidential campaigns until Police release NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu aka Bobi Wine and FDC’s Patrick Oboi Amuriat.
Both Bobi Wine and Amuriat were yesterday brutally arrested by Police during their presidential campaigns in Luuka and Gulu District respectively.
“I have made a decision to suspend my presidential campaigns with immediate effect until my fellow presidential candidates are released and all hostilities by the security forces of Uganda cease against candidates and innocent citizens whose only desire is peaceful political change through elections,” Tumukunde said in a statement.
“We are in consultations with fellow leaders of all change forces to determine the best course of action and restore sanity in our country. As promised for in the Constitution, all candidates have the right to be seen, the right to be heard, and the right to express their vision for the country in a free and fair election.”
“It has become increasingly difficualt and increasingly neccesarey to speak truth to power. We must find a way to avoid the violent scenes seen across the country,” he added.
Muntu said, “We have decided to pause our presidential campaign activities until our colleagues, Bobi Wine and Patrick Amuriat are released and their freedom to campaign guaranteed. We call upon government to recognise that this isn’t business as usual.”
According to police, both Kyagulanyi and Amuriat were arrested as they were holding a rally of more than 200 people which violates the Electoral Commission campaign rules and the Ministry of Health Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Their arrest sparked off protests in different parts of country where hundreds took to the streets demanding for their immediate release.
The protesters lit car tires in the middle of roads around Kisekka Market, Nabugabo Lane, Nasser Road, City Square, Bombo Road and Kampala Road among others.
