Opposition, CSOs write to Aronda over rallies

By Moses Mulondo

Opposition leaders and Civil Society activists under the umbrella of Free and Fair Elections have written to Internal Affairs minister, Aronda Nyakairima, inquiring why the police continue to scuttle their rallies.

“The purpose of the letter is to request for an urgent meeting between our Coordinating Team and the Internal Affairs minister, the Inspector General of Police,” the Free and Fair elections consortium chairman also UPC President Olara Otunnu said.

“This request follows our letters of 13 February and 24 March, 2014, addressed to the Minister and the Inspector General of Police,” he said in an interview over the weekend.

The letter, he added, was a follow-up to an earlier one written on March 24, 2013 contesting the dispersing of opposition rallies in eastern Uganda.

He explained that using the February 13, 2014 letter to Aronda and the IGP, their organizing committees were able to organize successful gatherings in Jinja, Masaka, Bushenyi, Kyambogo, Mbarara, and Tororo but were surprised when their gatherings in Mbale and Soroti were blocked.  

The former UN diplomat said the violation of fundamental rights of Ugandans by specific leaders in government would not go unchallenged.

They want to meet Aronda and  Kayihura to ensure there is no more interruption of their gatherings by police.

The consortium of parties and CSOs want government to urgently show commitment to constitutional reforms before the end of April without which they say they would consider other means to seek for justice.