Opposition protesters attack Kamya in London

Attacked. Ms Beti Kamya, the minister for Kampala Affairs addressing journalists in Kampala recently. FILE PHOTO

What you need to know:

The deputy director of the Uganda Media Centre, Col Shaban Bantariza, yesterday described the confrontational behaviour as a waste of time.

Opposition activists in London have confronted a government minister accusing her of siding with a repressive regime.
Ms Beti Kamya, the minister for Kampala Affairs, was also reportedly pushed to the ground before the London Met Police intervened.

A video footage making rounds since Saturday night shows protesters wearing red attire with anti-government placards hurling insults at Ms Kamya.
In a statement to Daily Monitor, the People Power spokesperson in United Kingdom (UK), Ms Atim Belinda, owned up the incident saying: “it was the right time against the right group. The vice president Edward Ssekandi and other officials were present.”

Ms Kamya was due to make remarks on the last day of UK-Uganda Trade and Investment convention that lasted two days from September 13.
Housing Finance sponsored the event that educated Ugandans in the diaspora on acquiring mortgages and how they could invest back home.
Provocative words such as ‘you are a thief…arrest her…free Stella Nyanzi…Museveni must go… get out here…they have killed our women…they have killed our people” can be heard directed to Ms Kamya, who is however, not seen in the video.

A few moments later, a Met Police van arrives with sirens and one man in red is seen on the ground being arrested by a police officer.
One of the participants in the protest yesterday said they will not give peace to Ugandan government officials who fly to Western capitals.
“They will get us here ready to tell them off. Once you are part of a repressive regime like Beti Kamya is..,” Mr Godfrey Ssekisonge, one of the protesters said.
Whereas some sources said Ms Kamya was pushed to the ground Ms Atim said: “You don’t rule that out. Everything happened so fast, very quickly.”

However, the deputy director of the Uganda Media Centre, Col Shaban Bantariza, yesterday described the confrontational behaviour as a waste of time.
“Power is not taken through insulting people. That is an improper method and nobody will support you. Those people are wasting time and are losing even the little credibility they would have,” Col Bantariza said by telephone yesterday.
Ms Kamya had not responded to our calls and messages by press time.