NUP accuses security of targeting their supporters during night operations

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Unity Platform-NUP has accused police and other security agencies for the continued arrests of their supporters in the country on accusation of being involved in protests last week.

Since last week’s protests around some towns, security personnel have been carrying out operations and arresting a number of people allegedly connected to the protests following the arrest of NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu in Luuka district.

More than 45 people are believed to have died in the protests and several have been arrested in connection to the protests.

But the National Unity Platform now claims that the night operations mostly in parts of Kampala and Wakiso are targeting their supporters accused of being violent and accusing them of being involved in the riots last week despite their innocence on such allegations.

Addressing journalists at NUP offices in Kamwokya today, Joel Ssenyonyi the party spokesman said they have noted that the operatives in plain clothes and police have continued to pick up people at night once identified as an NUP supporter.

He warns the security agencies to stop operating outside the law because most of the innocent people have allegedly been detained at unknown places without being produced in courts of laws which could result in other protests.

“We’re asking police and military to stop these acts, supporting a political party is not a crime. Why do you keep picking people at night and you don’t even produce them in court,” added Ssenyonyi saying it’s against the law.

However in response, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango said that security agencies are only arresting people who were involved in criminal activities and those who were leading the protests.

NUP also expressed concern on the arrest of their advanced team members in Kyegegwa district on Monday by security agencies when the hotel they slept in was raided prior to Kyagulanyi’s campaign in the same district.

“One of the team members told us that they were arrested because they were violating the curfew regulations. You wonder because these people were found in their rooms,” said Ssenyonyi.

He however noted that they have learnt this is another approach to frustrate Kyagulanyi’s campaigns by arresting people surrounding him.

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