Amuriat escort car shot at
The shattered window of Mr Patrick Amuriat’s escort car that was reportedly shot at by a policeman at Mahyoro Landing Site in Kitagwenda District yesterday. PHOTO | RACHEL MABALA
What you need to know:
- Background. Mr Amuriat has faced a number of hurdles at the hands of security forces since he started campaigning, with police blocking him from accessing many venues. He has been teargassed in almost all districts he has visited in the country.
A police officer yesterday allegedly shot at the convoy of presidential candidate Patrick Amuriat, shattering windows of his escort car at Mahyoro Landing Site in Kitagwenda District.
Witnesses said the police officer identified as Mucunguzi, PC 53873, cocked his gun and aimed at Mr Amuriat’s convoy, which was passing at high speed. The bullet missed his car and hit the escort vehicle, which was seriously damaged, but nobody was injured.
After the shooting, the head of Mr Amuriat’s security team grabbed Mr Mucunguzi and a fight ensued. Mr Mucunguzi was overpowered and taken to Mahyoro Police Station where he was detained.
The motive of the shooting could not be readily established. Mr Mucunguzi was not part of the police operation team that was following and monitoring Mr Amuriat on the campaign trail.
Kitagwenda District Police Commander Rosette Sikahwa said they had not deployed Mr Mucunguzi for any operational duty yesterday and wondered how he deployed himself without command.
“I wonder where he got that authority, but we shall investigate and ensure he faces the law,” Ms Sikahwa told Daily Monitor.
Mr Roland Mugume Kaginda, the FDC campaign field coordinator, said he knows Mr Mucunguzi personally and claimed he is a soldier who was dressed in police uniform.
FDC claims
“This man is called Mucunguzi from Rukungiri and I personally know him. He is a soldier…,” Mr Kaginda claimed.
His claim could not be independently verified.
Mr Amuriat said the shooting vindicates his long-held view that security forces have been planning to harm him.
“This attack was targeting me and my team. How can a security officer shoot at police employed to protect a presidential candidate? I want to inform Museveni and his security that Ugandans will not allow this to happen and we shall fight it. The man who shot at the car is not even a police officer, but a soldier dressed in police uniform,” he said.
Mr Amuriat had entered Kitagwenda District peacefully and started his campaigns well until he reached Kitagweda Town Council. At the entrance to the town, an NRM district official asked police to block the road.
However, when Mr Amuriat’s team reached the scene, police removed the barricade. A brief scuffle ensued between Mr Kaginda and the NRM leader, forcing police to intervene to separate them. They took away the NRM official. In the middle of town, police fired several canisters of teargas to disperse Mr Amuriat’s supporters.
Earlier, in Fort Portal City, police and other security agencies sealed off Jopalz Hotel where Mr Amuriat had spent the night and ordered everybody inside not to leave. Nobody was allowed to enter either. The standoff lasted more than three hours before Mr Amuriat was allowed to proceed to Kitagwenda.
