Eight members of the Democratic Party have been arrested on charges of criminal trespass and inciting violence for attempting to force their way into the Democratic Party Headquarters on Balintuma Road in Kampala. Those arrested are Buikwe South MP Dr Michael Lulume Bayigga, Lubega Samson Mukaaku, Patrick Sekamatte, Alex Ntale, Mulindwa Muwonge, John Bosco, Godfrey […]
Eight members of the Democratic Party have been arrested on charges of criminal trespass and inciting violence for attempting to force their way into the Democratic Party Headquarters on Balintuma Road in Kampala.
Those arrested are Buikwe South MP Dr Michael Lulume Bayigga, Lubega Samson Mukaaku, Patrick Sekamatte, Alex Ntale, Mulindwa Muwonge, John Bosco, Godfrey Kaweesi and David Kyakayi, all Members of the Democratic Party who have challenged the Memorandum of Understanding signed recently between DP President Norbert Mao and President Yoweri Museveni.
It is alleged that the group was on a mission to forcefully take over the party offices from the leadership of Mao, who recently accepted a ministerial position in the ruling government.
Before their arrest, Bayigga, the Buikwe MP on DP ticket, said the party headquarters is not out of bounds but a public infrastructure which every member is allowed to access.
“It is their right to meet their leaders at their party offices. They wanted to hear from us on what next for our great grandfather’s political party. But the premises are under Police guard, which clearly shows that Mao sold us to President Museveni’s NRM,” Lulume said.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango says that the suspects are currently detained at Old Kampala Police Station.
DP spokesperson Okoler Opio Lo-Amanu stated that the party regrets what he called an act of indiscipline by MP Bayigga and his group, adding that they had invaded the party offices with unknown intentions.
“There is an established procedure to be at the party offices which is at least known to all members of the Democratic Party. This was not followed and the leadership regrettably learnt of the incident after it had occurred,” Okoler said.
