Police use teargas to disperse Rukutana supporters protesting his detention

Police in Ntungamo Municipality in western Uganda were on Monday forced to use tear gas to disperse rowdy supporters of detained State Minister for Labour, Mwesigwa Rukutana.

Police said on Saturday that they had detained the Rushenyi County MP and his three escorts following a shooting incident in Ruhama, Ntungamo district in which one person was seriously injured and a motor vehicle damaged.
His family members and supporters stormed police on Monday demanding for his release and declare him winner of the just concluded NRM primaries in which he lost to Ms Naome Kabasharira, the former Ntungamo Woman MP.

The protesters from all sub counties of Rushenyi County were heard chanting and demanding that charges be dropped and the former deputy attorney general be release.
They vowed to continue the protest against what they described as unlawful and unjust detention and the coercive tactics against the will of majority threatening to defect to the newly formed National Unity Platform (NUP) headed by Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine if President Museveni who is the NRM national chairman does not intervene.

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They also accused the Ntungamo District NRM party chairperson who is also the First Lady, Janet Kataaha Museveni of manipulating the election process and directing the NRM district registrar, Ms Maria Mirembe to announce the partial results excluding 10 villages which had not yet handed over their results.

“No! No! this is not state house where Janet Kataaha Museveni can direct to announce results in favour of her son Justus Karuhanga and Naome Kabasharira. We implore the public to stand up against the authoritarian government of NRM or we defect to other opposition parties,” one of the protestors shouted.
Armed with banners and placards inscribed with slogans free Mwesigwa Rukutana, our developmental MP, who built churches, mosques, schools, roads and clean water in our area, the protestors appealed to Mr Museveni to ensure a swift investigation and order the release Mr Rukutana.

The Ntungamo DPC, Damian Katwesiime told this reporter that they had to disperse the protestors because they did not seek permission from police to demonstrate.
“We could not allow them to demonstrate because we were not sure of their intentions. Additionally, they did not seek permission for it, so we dispersed them with teargas. Everybody vanished in thin air,” he said.
Ms Mirembe told this publication that the results were declared excluding other villages because they were under pressure from voters.
“And in doing so we thought it could maintain sanity,” she said.
President Museveni on Monday said Rukutana would be prosecuted for the offences he committed.

“The cheating in the NRM Primaries is over. Those who beat People, like in Bukono, are all in jail or on the run. Minister Rukutana is in jail and will be prosecuted. They will be fully accountable with robust charges: assault, attempted murder, murder etc,” the president said in a statement posted on his social media platforms on Monday morning.
Ms Kabasharira was declared winner with 24,006 votes against Rukutana’s 23,966. Bob Karabayi got 2,266 votes, Nicholas Niwahereza 1,202 votes while Norman Kashereka got 346 votes.