By Fred Turyakira

The Police have denied that they blocked FDC party president Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye from going to Kabale over the weekend.

The Police disclosed that they provided escorts for Besigye up to Rugando towards Ntungamo district after order was restored in Mbarara town where crowds had blocked traffic.

Tear gas and bullets on Saturday morning rocked Mbarara town when the Police dispersed crowds that had gathered around Besigye’s car at a filling station.

Deputy Police spokesperson Vincent Ssekate on Sunday said Besigye was on a journey to Kabale to attend the burial of a family friend, John William Bagorogoza.

However, Besigye made a stopover to greet his supporters at Total filling station, which is at the gateway to Mbarara town and a busy spot.

Ssekate said: “This was not prior planned and the supporters began to block the traffic flow and business came to a standstill as a result.”

He said it was then that the Police, led by the Mbarara district Police commander Dennis Anywar, moved in and requested Besigye to move on.

Ssekate says efforts by Anywar to relocate Besigye from the filling station were futile as the politician instead locked himself in his car.

He said the area has important installations such as the NSSF building, hotels, regional corporate offices, petrol stations and other major service providers in Mbarara.

The incident paralysed business in Mbarara and left several people nursing injuries and five vehicles destroyed.

“The Police were necessitated to act so as to restore order in the affected areas by the agitated Besigye supporters. The Police dispersed the charged crowds using reasonable force and he was escorted up to Rugando towards Ntungamo,” Ssekate said.