Masaka police investigate people dropping leaflets castigating Museveni 35-year rule

Some of the leaflets dropped in Masaka City on the night of January 27, 2021. PHOTO/MALIK FAHAD JJINGO.

What you need to know:

  • The leaflets dropped on various streets of Masaka City on Wednesday night, have inscriptions “35 years, dictatorship, poverty, extra judicial killings, human rights abuse, nepotism …Enough is enough, ekimala Kimala, tosha tosha,” with a cancelled portrait of President Museveni.

Police in Masaka District are hunting for unknown people who are circulating leaflets which security say are demeaning the person of President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni who won January presidential elections.

The leaflets dropped on various streets of Masaka City on Wednesday night, have inscriptions “35 years, dictatorship, poverty, extra judicial killings, human rights abuse, nepotism …Enough is enough, ekimala Kimala, tosha tosha,” with a cancelled portrait of President Museveni .

According to Mr Keith Lubega, a mobile money attendant along Edward Avenue in Masaka City, they woke up when the whole city was littered with the leaflets from an anonymous source

“I reached my shop at around 7am and my neighbors were looking at leaflets before I saw a bundle placed at my door,” he said in an interview, adding, “We are wondering who dropped the leaflets here .Security has been arresting people indiscriminately and we are scared they may arrest us simply because the leaflets were dropped on our doors yet we don’t know the source.”

Another trader in Masaka City, Mr John Bosco Mugerwa requested security to come out and tell the public who are circulating the leaflets.

“We suspect that whoever is behind these leaflets may cause unrest in the city, but security have not come out to tell us who these people are, yet there are CCTV cameras around the city,” he said.

However, Southern regional Police Spokesperson, Mr Muhammad Nsubuga asked the public to remain calm because the issue has already been taken up by joint security forces.

“We have already picked intelligence information on some groups behind the throwing around of leaflets which are demeaning the person of the president and soon we shall make this information available to the public,” he said. 

He also asked the public solicit information that may help police arrest those behind the dropping of the anonymous leaflets.