KAMPALA–The Opposition has vowed to defy a police order banning joint consultations by Opposition MPs on the age limit bill.
An order issued by AIGP Asuman Mugenyi on Monday restricted MPs to consulting only in their constituencies and directed that any MP intending to consult outside their constituency be stopped.
The Leader of Opposition, Winnie Kiiza, announced today that the Opposition will not heed Mugenyi’s order.
Her statement follows a violent crackdown by the police on an opposition rally yesterday in Kasubi located in the Opposition stronghold of Rubaga North represented Moses Kasibante.
The opposition MPs launched joint a consultation programme last week and have held successful and peaceful joint rallies in Kireka and Kalerwe.
Kiiza told the press today that no sane Ugandan can obey such a directive noting that the police cannot direct MPs on how to run their business.
“No Member of Parliament is going to accept that order, we are continuing with our programmes and consultations as prior arranged,” she said defiantly.
“No amount of tear gas, no amount of bullets will deter members of parliament from using the design they want in consulting the people of Uganda,” she added.
She stressed that the age limit debate is a national issue and requires a collective strategy.
“The constitution is a document that unites all Ugandans it is therefore the duty of us Ugandans to consult nationally,” she argued.
She accused the elite presidential guard the SFC disguised in police uniform of sparking off the chaos in Kasubi and engaging in a brutally breaking up the rally.
“Unfortunately on some of these rallies they are not even using the ordinary police it is SFC covering up in police uniform and brutalizing Ugandans,” she stated.
The Butambala County MP Muwanga Kivumbi is certain that there is a political change likely to take place given the political climate in the country over the age limit bill.
He says the security apparatus should be able to read the mood of the country and avoid brutalizing the masses.
“They are able to read the times and know that if they don’t want to go down with Museveni then they have to act accordingly,” he advised.
He accuses President Museveni of fostering insecurity through the use of the armed forces to suppress Ugandans.
Kivumbi stressed that all their previous rallies have dispersed peacefully and accused Museveni of engineering yesterday’s chaos in order to justify the police ban on joint rallies.
He notes that Museveni is envious of the surging masses that greet opposition politicians while his popularity is dwindling.
“By the way I looked at a survey they carried out, when he goes on radio, its listenership drops by 60%,” he remarked of Museveni.
Tomorrow the Opposition MPs head to Busiro East the constituency represented by Medard Segona with rallies scheduled in Nateete and Kyengera.
