Police in Fort Portal has blocked a planned demonstration by a group of Tooro youth against a resolution backing President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as NRM’s sole presidential candidate in forth coming elections.

On May 9, leaders in the Tooro sub-region met Museveni at Kalya Courts in Fort Portal. In addition, they unanimously backed him as NRM’s sole presidential candidate in 2021 polls.

However, this did not go down well with some of the youth in the sub-region. They wrote to the Inspector General of Police - IGP, Martin Okoth Ochola on May 13, requesting security clearance to hold a peaceful demonstration against the resolution in Fort Portal town.

Thomas Kakuru, one of the mobilizers of the demonstration, said they were about 100 in number and had planned to hold the demonstration yesterday, May 20.

However, these did not get any response to the letter. By the time they tried to storm the streets, Police had already deployed and they were warned that if they attempted to demonstrate, they would all be arrested.

According to the Kabarole District Police Commander - DPC, Jamal Kanyesigye, they blocked the demonstration because they knew nothing about it and deemed it illegal.

Kakuru said that even though they wrote to IGP Ochola, they didn’t get any response, and they are now giving police an ultimatum up to Thursday to respond to their request, else they proceed to court for legal redress.

_{image credit:hrw}