Chaos in Kayunga as pro and anti-age limit supporters fight

MPs Amos Lugoloobi, left and Minister Nantaba consult their voters on age limit last year. Photo by Fred Muzaale

What you need to know:

  • The yellow ribbons were later collected and burnt by anti-age limit youth as they chanted “Togikwatako”.
  • Mr Lugoloobi later told journalists that he would not support the Bill as per the views he got from his constituents.

Kayunga Town on Friday became a battle ground following a fierce fight between the pro and anti-age limit supporters in Kayunga District.
The brawl that lasted about an hour, followed the unexpected arrival of a group of residents, wearing yellow ribbons on their heads, at a consultative rally convened by Mr Amos Lugoloobi for Ntenjeru North and Ms Aida Nantaba, the Kayunga Woman MP who also doubles the state minister Information and Communications Technology, to seek views of their constituents on the Bill at Kayunga Hospital grounds.

At about 3.30pm, as Mr Lugoloobi was about to declare his findings from the consultations he had held in the week about the Bill, about 10 men disembarked from a minibus and headed towards the rally venue.
As the already charged crowd, that had successfully managed to force the two legislators to wear red ribbons on their hands to signify that they don’t support Bill, saw the youth they got infuriated and surrounded them.
They broke sticks and started beating them.

As the situation became tense, the group of men who were allegedly mobilised by the Kayunga district NRM chairman Mr Moses Karangwa tried to fight back but were overpowered, forcing them to flee to the nearby Kayunga police station. When asked, Mr Karangwa declined to comment on whether or not he had mobilised the men.

Mr Lugoloobi later told journalists that he would not support the Bill as per the views he got from his constituents. Photo by Fred Muzaale

The police did not however help as they simply looked at them bleeding.
Others fled to the town centre where they entered shops but were removed by the irate residents who accused them of breeding “dictatorship”.
The chaos forced shopkeepers to close their businesses while some residents also locked themselves in their houses.
Mr Lugolobi and Ms Nantaba, also fled into the bush as the youth tried to beat them saying they had a hand in ferrying the yellow group, which they denied.

The yellow ribbons were later collected and burnt by anti-age limit youth as they chanted “Togikwatako”.
The situation returned to normalcy after the police came, an hour later, and tried to save the badly beaten yellow youth.
They bundled them on a police pickup and drove them away to an unknown place.

Mr Karangwa, however, said the yellow youth had gone like other residents to attend the consultative meeting.
“What is wrong with the pro age limit people attending the rally?” Mr Karangwa wondered.
A security source at police said undisciplined supporters caused the chaos.
Mr Lugoloobi later told journalists that he would not support the Bill as per the views he got from his constituents.