Teargas and live bullets rock Soroti town as Police block Besigye rally

Police throwing teargas

Teargas and live bullets rocked Soroti town yesterday as Police dispersed Opposition supporters who had come to listen to Dr Kizza Besigye and former Kumi county MP Patrick Amuriat who were scheduled to address a rally at Arrow Square in Soroti town.

Besigye and Amuriat held a town hall meeting with their supporters in Kumi town before continuing to Soroti town where they were welcomed with teargas.

Police engaged in running battles with the people who pelted them with stones.

"I was in Soroti a week ago and I met the DPC. I was cleared from Police headquarters, but to my shock, Police have blocked us from accessing the venue," Amuriat told journalists.

Amuriat is contesting for the presidency of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party. Besides issues of his candidature for FDC top job, Amuriat and Besigye were to address people about the land amendment Bill.

Pupils of Pioneer Primary school, one student of Soroti Secondary School and several other people sustained injuries in the fracas.

However, the regional Police commander Kyoga East, Philip Acaye, said Amuriat and Besigye were not cleared to hold a public rally as they alleged.

"We agreed that they hold a town hall meeting not a public rally," Acaye said. Besigye and Amuriat were not arrested, but Acaye says the two shall be summoned on Tuesday for questioning.

"It is not good to fight ordinary people who are not armed," Besigye said before he drove to an unknown destination.