Ugandan police ban opposition leader from holding rallies over sectarian remarks

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Ugandan police on Wednesday banned Bobi Wine, the leader of the country’s main opposition party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), from holding political rallies.

The move came after complaints from the government, religious leaders and prominent Ugandans who said Wine was making sectarian and abusive remarks while addressing rallies.

Police said the NUP violated guidelines agreed on between the police and the party before the rallies started.

In a statement read to reporters at police headquarters, national police spokesman Fred Enanga said there was a need to ban the rallies because they were dangerous.

“The rallies are being used to incite violence, promote sectarianism and make a legitimate cause for the removal of an elected government and issuance of defamatory statements against the person of the president. We are sending this strong message that our country will not wait for its villages, towns, urban centers and cities to burn before taking action to protect its citizens and property,” he said.

Enanga said there was a need to put an end to “the mob mentality, bullying and intimidation tactics of NUP radicals against innocent civilians and law enforcers.”

Wine said at the rallies that he needed 50,000 supporters to march in the capital Kampala to remove the government of President Yoweri Museveni, who he referred to as a non-Ugandan, and said his government was engrossed with corruption and tribalism.

Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said Wine was abusing the president because he wanted to provoke his arrest.

”Bobi Wine thinks he can provoke an arrest or be summoned to court, but I think we shall not give him that opportunity,”​​​​​​​ he said.