NUP Leaders Confer with Police Chiefs Regarding Nationwide Tours

NUP Leaders, Led by Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya, Meet Police Chiefs at Naguru Headquarters

Yesterday, leaders of the National Unity Platform (NUP), led by their Secretary General, Mr. Lewis Rubongoya, held a closed-door meeting with police chiefs at the police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala.

The meeting revolved around the constitutional right of NUP to conduct nationwide tours, although disagreements arose regarding the manner in which these tours should proceed, with police expressing concerns about potential violence.

Deputy Police spokesperson Claire Nabakka indicated that while NUP leaders have the right to hold their countrywide meetings, they must adhere to specified guidelines set by the police.

"They were instructed to inform the police about their tours and to comply with the guidelines to ensure the safety of lives and property, as seen in previous incidents," Ms. Nabakka stated.

Police had previously suspended NUP tours in early June following a fatal accident at St. Lawrence College, Maya, on the Kampala-Masaka highway, where three people lost their lives.

Among the guidelines issued, police emphasized the need for NUP meetings to be held in enclosed spaces and to refrain from conducting processions, measures that NUP leaders criticized as discriminatory.

Party spokesperson Mr. Joel Ssenyonyi, who attended the meeting, contested police accusations regarding the Masaka road accident.

"The police seemed intent on holding us accountable for the accident, but we clarified that we learned about it after we had left the scene," Mr. Ssenyonyi, also Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, asserted.

"We will continue our activities as a political party and not a disorderly group. Our commitment remains to abide by the law," he affirmed.

Mr. Rubongoya encouraged supporters to participate in upcoming assemblies, particularly across the western stretch from Bundibugyo to Ishaka and Rukungiri.

"We invite our people to join us without fear, as we will be together with our president," he encouraged.

Mr. Ssenyonyi urged police leadership to ensure that lower-ranking officers implement the solutions discussed in the meeting to prevent conflicts on the ground.

"While we have constructive engagements with police leadership here, we urge them to ensure that District Police Commanders (DPCs) and Regional Police Commanders (RPCs) also uphold these agreements in their local operations," he emphasized.

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