Gulu residents block police from detaining People Power mobiliser

GULU- Police Tuesday fired live bullets to disperse a group of people in Gulu town blocked the detention of People Power Movement mobiliser.

 People Power Movement is a political movement that was established by Kyaddondo East Member of Parliament, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, to rally Ugandans to end the rule of President Yoweri Museveni that started 33 years ago.

Mr William Otim alias Bosmic Joyce Otim, a popular musician in northern Uganda had organised a rally at Gulu Main Market t in Gulu Municipality.

As Mr Otim and a team of seven university students under the People Power Northern Uganda Chapter were addressing hundreds of people who included market vendors at  Gulu main market, police officers showed up and ordered them to disperse.

The team clad in red and black overalls, bandanas and berets defied the orders.

Police officers arrested him and ordered him to move to a waiting police pick-up truck.

The action triggered protests from Gulu town residents and market vendors who started throwing various objects at police officers.

Police responded by firing live bullets in the air as some security operatives confiscated a public address system that was being used at the rally.

They eventually overwhelmed police and rescued him.

In the ensuing stampede, Mr Otim sustained a wound on the head and he was rushed to a clinic for medical attention.

Mr Otim later told Daily Monitor that he sustained the wound after a police officer his head with a gun butt.

The order to arrest Mr Otim was allegedly made by Mr John Bosco Nyangkol, the officer in charge of Gulu Central Police Station.

Mr Nyankol, however, refused to speak to Daily Monitor and referred us to the Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson, Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema.

Mr Okema said the meeting was illegal and four people have been arrested while Mr Otim and other members of his team are being sought.

Speaking to Daily Monitor, before the disruption of the rally, Mr Otim said the assembly was prompted by the false lies peddled by a group of National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters who told President Yoweri Museveni last week that the youth in Acholi Sub-region have endorsed him for 2021 presidential elections.

He said that the 15 youth who were reportedly NRM supporters do not represent the voice of the  youth in the region adding that such a false endorsement was prompted by poverty, greed and political immaturity.

“Museveni has ruled for more than 30 years. We need fresh blood. We need our generation to steer the leadership in the country without Museveni who has been in power for long. The youth who endorsed president Museveni are greedy,” he said.

"We endorse Bobi Wine"

Mr Otim said the youth are “instead endorsing” Bobi Wine as their presidential candidate in the 2021 presidential elections.

He said the rally was also intended to condemn the shooting a People Power movement mobiliser in Amolatar last week.

Mr Moses Okot Junior, a Gulu-based lawyer who has expressed interest to contest for the seat of Kyoga Member of Parliament come 2021 general elections, was shot in the legs and hand by a security guard attached to Amolatar Resident District Commissioner, Ms Lillian Eyal.

Mr Otim accused police of harassing Opposition politicians by dispersing their rallies yet Mr Museveni is traversing the country to early campaigns under the pretext of promoting wealth creation.

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