NRM Youths Protest UK Parliament’s Debate on Democracy in Uganda, Police Arrests 3

Police has arrested a group of youths affiliated to the ruling NRM party who held a protest in Kampala on Thursday challenging the debate on democracy, governance and rule of law in Uganda which was held on Tuesday by some members of the UK House of Commons.

On Thursday, a group of youths dressed in yellow attire with NRM logos and writings staged a demonstration outside the British High Commission along Kira Road in Kampala. They held placards written on statements calling on the British government to respect Uganda’s sovereignty.

Some of the writings read ‘Concentrate on BREXIT, Leave Uganda Alone’ and ‘Uganda is Not For Sale’. Others chanted NRM slogans.

At least three of the protestors were arrested and driven away to Kira Road Police station after they failed to comply with the orders by Police to leave. About three of them, including a woman, were arrested and bundled onto a waiting Police truck before they were whisked away.

The Police spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan, ASP Luke Owoyesigire confirmed that three people had been arrested in the protest but that Police was yet to take statements from them to establish what the matter was.

ASP Owoyesigyire said they face charges of inciting violence.

Ahead of the debate earlier this week, Stockton South MP, Dr Paul Williams of the Labour Party who was on the lead, said that his view and that of the British people was that the democracy and independence of the Electoral Commission in Uganda are undermined by the leadership of President Yoweri Museveni.

He said that the freedoms and rights of opposition politicians like Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, have been abused and many of them tortured and harassed, saying that UK MPs as “friends of Uganda” needed a chance to discuss them.

However, the disgruntled NRM youths said on Thursday that matters concerning a sovereign State must be discussed within the said State.

“I don’t know how UK can come in to discuss our own issues. They should leave us and Uganda depends on nobody,” one of the protesters told the press.

“The President is elected, MPs are elected and so, we have democracy,” he added.

Another one said; “They [UK] have BREXIT to handle. Let them handle it. Let us handle our country. 2021 is not far, why are they then saying we don’t have democracy?”