NUP`s office in Gulu attacked

Gulu, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Unidentified youths have raided the Northern Regional National Unity Platform (NUP) party office in Gulu. The youth who were dressed red attires from head to toe stormed the NUP offices along Timothy Okee road in Pece-Laroo Division on Monday afternoon holding placards denouncing the office leadership.   

‘’We don`t want corruption in NUP, Lina Zedriga Out, We Want Our Money, We Hate Tribalism, We want equality, Bobi Wine respond’’  read some of the placards. Before the attack, the youth who numbered about one hundred held a procession through several streets in Gulu City while playing Bobi Wine`s song ‘’fighting for freedom’’ on a public address system.  

They openly puffed marijuana, drank alcohol and blew whistles as they executed their missions.

Some of the key personalities that were seen among them include Daniel Soca who is vying for the Pece-Laroo South Division Council under the National Unity Platform ticket, Bosco Ocira, the Nwoya NUP Chairperson and Kennedy Otim, a renowned NUP member from Pader district.   

Upon reaching the party office, the group ransacked it and scattered some of the party documents and records. They also broke a laptop used to store party records, shattered windowpanes and assaulted Gerald Oyegi, the Northern Regional NUP Electoral Commissioner.   

The fracas lasted for over one hour as the youth engaged in a verbal exchange with some NUP officials and threatened to kill them if they don`t vacate the office.  They also demanded that the office be closed with immediate effect until Robert Kyagulanyi, the NUP president heeds to their demands for money.  

However, the situation calmed down when the youth vanished to unknown destination upon the intervention of heavily armed police officers from Gulu Central Station led by John Bosco Nyangkol, the head of operations. Bosco Ocira, the NUP Chairperson for Nowya who was part of the protest, said that they are discontented with NUP leadership in Acholi, which he accused of corruption and tribalism.   

Samuel Obedgiu, the NUP coordinator for the Northern office told URN later that they don’t know the attackers and their intentions.  Five of the youths were arrested by police during the protest and are currently locked up at Gulu Central Police Station.

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URN