Heavy police deployment along Entebbe Road ahead of Mbabazi return
A police patrol car with security officers aboard packed at Kajjansi below the fly-over and infront of it was another police anti-riot truck that are said to have been deployed ahead of former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi's return from the UK. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA
KAMPALA. An assemblage of security forces and operatives was on Sunday deployed heavily along the Kampala-Entebbe highway and nearby suburbs, in anticipation of the return of Presidential Aspirant Amama Mbabazi.
The former Prime Minister was expected to arrive at Entebbe International Airport by 1:00 pm on Sunday but by press time, Daily Monitor could not confirm if he had managed to return or not.
Right from Kibuye, a cocktail of regular police officers, Anti-riot police, Counter Terrorism personnel, Military Police and Traffic Police officers were deployed at every junction to Entebbe road.
The mean-looking operatives especially from Military Police and Counter Terrorism could not even entertain journalists taking pictures of their deployment.
Another set of vigilantes and ‘crime preventers’ also pitched camp at various points along the highway. One group led by Ali Kirume, popularly known as Gear Box stationed near Mildmay Mission Hospital and pledged not to allow anybody bring “confusion” in the country.
“We need to have security in the country and we shall not allow anybody who plans to bring confusion and violence. I lead many Boda Boda cyclists and we shall deal with that person,” Mr Kirume said.
Another group under the Boda Boda Association 2010 found at Kajjansi also warned of similar consequences for anyone planning to march along the road or disrupt businesses. The association is led by Abdul Kitata who was part of a group of youth who knelt before President Museveni at State House in support of the Kyankwanzi sole candidate resolution.
In a statement released on Saturday, Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura warned that a group of youth planned to ferry people along Kampala-Entebbe highway on Sunday for a motive he said Police was investigating but described as unlawful.
“Further, we have also received information that some group is mobilising to ferry an unsuspecting members of the public on Entebbe-Kampala, tomorrow, Sunday, June 28 for motives that we are still investigating,” IGP Kayihura said.
Perhaps anticipating a show down with security forces which could lead to his arrest, Mr Mbabazi who left the country two days after the announcement of his presidential bid in a five-minute recorded video told a UK based newspaper The Independent, that he was not afraid of getting arrested.
“I could be arrested. I would not be surprised – but I’ve been engaged in too many struggles against regimes to be fearful.”
Mr Mbabazi has been in the United Kingdom and the United States of America where he has given a number of interviews and speeches about his presidential bid to media
