At the Thursday noon presser, the President H.E. Kyagulanyi Ssentamu Robert reiterated that the nationwide tour will resume despite a daybreak after the Wednesday Kamuli train was interrupted by police and military.
Addressing our supporters, the party leadership revealed that a protest letter had been drafted to appeal for restrain from the police.
The protest letter decried police misconduct witnessed in Jinja on Wednesday as security deliberately sabotaged our legitimate duties as a registered party.
The roads were barricaded, arrests instituted against our comrades. We question why police prides in sabotaging our activities and at the same time offer security and support to the same held by the regime henchmen including a serving military officer.
The selective persecution of NUP yet some leaders are seen wearing uniforms with impunity, was also highlighted.
Deputy President for Northern region, Dr. Lina Zedriga urged comrades to remain steadfast.
“We will continue with our notice
We’ll go ahead with our civil and civic duties as a registered party,” she said before inviting the president to the podium.
The President who was composed thanked the masses in Kamuli that braved Wednesday’s storm by the police. He said that alone showed that the regime fears people and the truth.
He furthermore expressed gratitude to the people of Kamuli for their invaluable support for the struggle.
He recounted a heinous scene he witnessed where a police officer choked a helpless baby with a teargas canister he threw inside a passenger taxi.
“I watched with my own eyes a baby girl fighting for her life in a taxi after a police officer threw a teargas canister inside the taxi. People who tried to save her were beaten,” he said. “I am coming to Kamuli and I’m not giving up. what you’re supporting is legitimate and moral. The law is on our side, God is on our side.” he added.
He emphasized that the regime is on borrowed time.
“They are illegitimate hence their fears. Don’t fear them. They cannot stand up if we decide to stand up. They had to get reinforcements from police posts all over Busoga to battle us. Don’t accept to be enslaved on your own land,” he said. “We are stronger than these rebels. Stand firm. Now you know if people all over Uganda rise up, these people will be overwhelmed. We shall come to Kamuli and we shall reach Kamuli and that shall not change,” he added.
On comrade Anthony Agaba aka Bobi Young arrest and other comrades
Our brother Bobi Young was arrested yesterday and apparently our outfit has been declared illegal. An international award winning fashion designer Latif Madoi is in prison. I wear the same outfit but I’m not in prison. I encourage you to continue defying them morally and one day we shall win.
The President further added that all oppressed people have been liberated by rising at the same time. “When Busoga has risen, Ankole and Buganda shouldn’t wait,” he said.
He described fashion as a peaceful way of protest.
“Fashion is a way of protest. Those are our new ways of protesting. The regime is finding all ways possible to fight non-violent protest. They want to make it abominable for anyone to associate with us. I encourage all of you to wear red,” he said. “We stand with Bobi Young. We pray for him and demand for his unconditional release. Even if we are an ‘army’, we are a non-violent army,” he said.
On Wednesday, more than 20 of our comrades including our Secretariat staff were arrested in Kamuli. They were brutalized and paraded to court and yet again bogus charges were slapped on them.
“We will stand firm. We will defy that injustice and we will defeat that injustice,” president said.
On the UHRC
“Two days ago I was at UHRC. In 2018 I petitioned the ban on my music concerts. I was silenced by the head of the UHRC because she only serves the interests of Gen. Museveni. But that shall not be the end. We went there because we know….,” he said. “We are going escalate this matter. We are going to appeal to all international bodies. We will appeal for sanctions on Ms. Mariam Wangadya for being an enabler of injustices and human rights violations. Kibalama and missing persons case was mishandled. Wangadya is a target of sanctions,” he added.
On our tour
“Our letter is to be delivered to the office of the IGP and shake them to sovereignty. We want to go on record….,” he said. “Our nationwide tour has not yet started since it’s been blocked. I hereby announce that tomorrow we’re resuming our nationwide tour. We are going to Pallisa. We’re not breaking the law. We are a registered political party. Every other political actors are going about their business, why are we being targeted?,” he questioned.
“We are going to go about our work. The law will come for you in individual capacity. If Ugandan laws can’t get you, international laws will. If Ugandan institutions cannot get you, then the international community will,” he warned the perpetrators of impunity.
