Police vehicle transports anti-Mbabazi protestors

KAMPALA

Hours after President Museveni announced the dismissal of former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, a group of women dressed in yellow NRM party T-shirts and caps bearing the President’s pictures hit the streets of Kampala to celebrate the premier’s fall.

The women waved President Museveni’s posters and went around the streets chanting praises to the President for dismissing Mr Mbabazi. There was also an unusual heavy police deployment in the city.

The women had a brass band behind long police lines which appeared as if the cops were part of the “yellow women”. Indeed, police said they helped the women hold the demonstration.

Although Kampala Central police commander James Ruhweza denied the heavy deployment was related to Mr Mbabazi’s dismissal, and insisted it was intended to counter terror threats, he disclosed that police had actually facilitated the demonstrators.

Countering terror
“We have deployed just to counter terror and demonstrations that are likely to break up in the city. For those who were celebrating, we have only helped to provide them with transport [to NRM headquarters], but everyone is supposed to keep law and order,” Mr Ruhweza said. He said police was ready to arrest whoever tried to cause insecurity by organising unlawful demonstrations.

“Police deployment is our daily routine, but I call upon everyone to keep law and order because police will not allow anyone to cause any disorder, especially in the city,” Mr Ruhweza said. But when asked whether police would provide security to Mr Mbabazi’s supporters in case they asked for permission to hold a similar demonstration, Mr Ruhweza said he could not give an immediate answer.

There was mixed public reaction on Friday after news trickled in that Mr Mbabazi had been relieved of the Prime Minister’s job.

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