Police block FDC prayers in Mbarara

FDC party members pray at their Mbarara office before they were dispersed by police on Tuesday.
PHOTO BY COLLEB MUGUME

MBARARA- Police in Mbarara on Tuesday stopped Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party supporters from conducting prayers.

The members led by FDC party chairman Stanley Katembeya had resumed the “Free My Vote” weekly prayers, which had temporally been banned by Justice Steven Kavuma.

During the prayers, the FDC spiritual leader in Mbarara, Mr Emmanuel Bukabeba, urged supporters not to abandon political strategies such as the Power 10 that was launched by the former party presidential candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye.

“God free people’s President Dr Kizza Besigye and all those prisoners of conscience and those who don’t know what to do, show them what to do,” Mr Bukabeba prayed.

He added: “You remember his [Besigye] ‘V’ signature, since he cannot gesture it now because he is in prison, do it for him, mobilise others and share with them the information, we have talked to 10 persons you also get other 10 and those 10 also mobilise other 10.”

Dr Besigye launched the Power 10 in Rukungiri as a mechanism for citizens to protect their vote against being rigged. He also said the Power 10 strategy will be used to identify people participating in the political liberation of the country.

Mr Bukabeba, a former NRM supporter, distributed leaflets titled “Fdc Foundations for Peace” with various messages and Dr Besigye’s photo. He emphasised that they should be shared among all party members in rural areas.

Police later stormed FDC party offices on Markhansigh Street where the prayers were being held and ordered them to leave or be arrested. They first prayed one more time, as police watched, before they deserted the place.

Rwizi Region Police spokesperson Vincent Ssekate said the group was holding an illegal assembly. He said they should have notified police a week before so that they are offered guidance and protection as Public Order and Management Act stipulates. He added it was more of a political gathering than a prayer session and police had to go and stop them because the congregation was growing big.

“Look at what was happening; it was more of a political gathering because the person who was preaching was talking of planting intelligence in NRM to spy on their activities, they are talking of Power 10, they had fliers which they were distributing, they were calling members of Power 10 to distribute them,” he said.