KAMPALA: Police on Thursday, August 13, 2020, arrested 17 members of Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde’s campaign team on charges of holding an illegal gathering in contravention of guidelines set up by the Ministry of Health to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The group was reportedly holding a meeting at Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesman Patrick Onyango confirmed the arrest.
“We got a tip that a group of people were hold a meeting that was likely to lead to the spread of an infectious disease. A team was sent there and found the group of people was seated without respecting social distance and they were not wearing masks. They were arrested and have been detained at Nansana Police Station,” Mr Onyango said.
However, Labson Kijjambu, the coordinator for Gen Tumukunde’s platform in Wakiso District, described the arrest as political persecution, saying that they were not violating the Ministry of Health guidelines on Coronavirus.
“The team of 18 people was seated in a spacious place and each had social distanced from the other as per the guidelines and each wearing a mask. When police came, they said the meeting was illegal because Gen Tumukunde hadn’t informed them that we shall hold any meeting,” Mr Kijjambu said.
But Onyango insisted that the group was also contravening the Public Order Management Act.
“They did not notify us and therefore the meeting was illegal and we might also add that offence of holding an illegal meeting after examining the evidence,” he said.
