Mob Beats PAFO
Mar 05, 2004
A mob chanting pro-Movement slogans yesterday disrupted a Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) workshop in Jinja and roughed up several MPs.
By Henry Mukasa, Hamis Kaheru
and Abubaker Mukose
A mob chanting pro-Movement slogans yesterday disrupted a Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) workshop in Jinja and roughed up several MPs.
The serenity of the municipality was interrupted and jungle law took over as hooligans gave orders to the Police in Jinja.
Trouble started when the gang, which kept vigil at Crested Crane Hotel and Tourism Training Institute as early as 8:00am, forced their way into the conference hall.
They beat up Richard Kidegha, a parliament staff, who was manning the entrance, tore his shirt, took his mobile phone, grabbed his money and made their way into the hall.
Kidega, who was left for dead, was lucky when MPs came with the Police from Parliament and evacuated him.
Kidega said he was beaten while protecting Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri West) from the mob.
“They tried to pull my necktie, I loosened it, then they pulled at my clothes. When I tried to beat them off, one of them hit me with a bottle,†Mafabi said while showing a swollen jaw.
He was swallowing anti-biotics after returning with Kidega from a clinic in Jinja town.
“We exchanged blows but they were scared, that is why they used bottles. If it was blow-to- blow, although they were many, I would have boxed them,†Mafabi said.
The irate youth descended on PAFO spokesperson, Salaamu Musumba (Bugabula South), who had come out to inquire what was going on, shoved her aside and ordered her to leave.
She took refugee on the sidelines of the hall where area MP Harry Kasigwa (Jinja Municipality West) stood.
Inside the hall, the mob commanded by Mafubira sub-county chairman Richard Gulume, pulled away tables laid for the guest speakers.
They ordered PAFO chairman Augustine Ruzindana (Ruhaama) and MPs James Mwandha (Disabled), Kasiano Wadri (Terego), Wagonda Muguli (Buikwe), Johnson Nkuuhe (Isingiro South) and Capt. Guma Gumisiriza (Ibanda North) to quit the hall.
When the MPs hesitated, the gang hit the tables, lifted chairs and brandished empty bottles.
Ruzindana lifted himself up, picked his bag as his colleagues followed. The gang roughly pushed them out of the hall. No Police officer intervened.
The noisy mob, with a heavy whiff of alcohol, held President Yoweri Museveni’s 2001 campaign posters and placards reading: “No room for Malwa Group, Kategaya go to Mbarara, Museveni our key to peace, Kasigwa you have betrayed us.â€
As Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri), who was pacing up and down, came to check on Mwandha, the two met Jinja DPC Pius Mutabazi, who sparked off an exchange of hot words by saying their meeting was illegal.
“You said the meeting was for MPs. Are these MPs? I gave them guidelines and they refused to follow them. The meeting is illegal. The law is clear. We must learn how to organise meetings. All of you are disorganised,†Mutabazi said.
Katuntu shot back, “These (youth) have been organised to disrupt the meeting. This is not fair. We all want a stable country but you are partisan.
“All smelling here is alcohol. What kind of Police are we having in the country? You are also losers as Police in this, not only the MPs,†Katuntu said at the top of his voice.
“You are partisan. God bless you. As long as we have a partisan Police, this country will go back to ashes,†Mwandha said.
Eastern regional Police commander Simon Peter Wagama contradicted Mutabazi when he said the meeting was legal and should go on.
“This (hall) isn’t a public venue. It’s a closed venue. The meeting is lawful. Even the IGP (Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Wamala Katumba) is aware,†Wagama said as Mutabazi looked on.
But he did not commit himself as to whether the rowdy youth would be brought to book.
Musumba accused energy state minister Daudi Migereko and the Movement Caucus vice-chairman, Moses Kizige, of master-minding the attack.
“This is Migereko at his best. It’s a good experience. We have brought the Movement plan forward. It goes beyond doubt that it was stage-managed,†she said.
Migereko said he only encouraged the youth to attend.
“I organised them and encouraged them to go and exchange ideas to market the NRM point of view.â€
And when they went there, they were denied entry and they forced their way in. Her (Musumba’s) being roughed up was because of her rude language,†Migereko said on phone.
By press time, Wagama was leading the MPs back to the hall to continue the meeting.
Ends
and Abubaker Mukose
A mob chanting pro-Movement slogans yesterday disrupted a Parliamentary Advocacy Forum (PAFO) workshop in Jinja and roughed up several MPs.
The serenity of the municipality was interrupted and jungle law took over as hooligans gave orders to the Police in Jinja.
Trouble started when the gang, which kept vigil at Crested Crane Hotel and Tourism Training Institute as early as 8:00am, forced their way into the conference hall.
They beat up Richard Kidegha, a parliament staff, who was manning the entrance, tore his shirt, took his mobile phone, grabbed his money and made their way into the hall.
Kidega, who was left for dead, was lucky when MPs came with the Police from Parliament and evacuated him.
Kidega said he was beaten while protecting Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri West) from the mob.
“They tried to pull my necktie, I loosened it, then they pulled at my clothes. When I tried to beat them off, one of them hit me with a bottle,†Mafabi said while showing a swollen jaw.
He was swallowing anti-biotics after returning with Kidega from a clinic in Jinja town.
“We exchanged blows but they were scared, that is why they used bottles. If it was blow-to- blow, although they were many, I would have boxed them,†Mafabi said.
The irate youth descended on PAFO spokesperson, Salaamu Musumba (Bugabula South), who had come out to inquire what was going on, shoved her aside and ordered her to leave.
She took refugee on the sidelines of the hall where area MP Harry Kasigwa (Jinja Municipality West) stood.
Inside the hall, the mob commanded by Mafubira sub-county chairman Richard Gulume, pulled away tables laid for the guest speakers.
They ordered PAFO chairman Augustine Ruzindana (Ruhaama) and MPs James Mwandha (Disabled), Kasiano Wadri (Terego), Wagonda Muguli (Buikwe), Johnson Nkuuhe (Isingiro South) and Capt. Guma Gumisiriza (Ibanda North) to quit the hall.
When the MPs hesitated, the gang hit the tables, lifted chairs and brandished empty bottles.
Ruzindana lifted himself up, picked his bag as his colleagues followed. The gang roughly pushed them out of the hall. No Police officer intervened.
The noisy mob, with a heavy whiff of alcohol, held President Yoweri Museveni’s 2001 campaign posters and placards reading: “No room for Malwa Group, Kategaya go to Mbarara, Museveni our key to peace, Kasigwa you have betrayed us.â€
As Abdu Katuntu (Bugweri), who was pacing up and down, came to check on Mwandha, the two met Jinja DPC Pius Mutabazi, who sparked off an exchange of hot words by saying their meeting was illegal.
“You said the meeting was for MPs. Are these MPs? I gave them guidelines and they refused to follow them. The meeting is illegal. The law is clear. We must learn how to organise meetings. All of you are disorganised,†Mutabazi said.
Katuntu shot back, “These (youth) have been organised to disrupt the meeting. This is not fair. We all want a stable country but you are partisan.
“All smelling here is alcohol. What kind of Police are we having in the country? You are also losers as Police in this, not only the MPs,†Katuntu said at the top of his voice.
“You are partisan. God bless you. As long as we have a partisan Police, this country will go back to ashes,†Mwandha said.
Eastern regional Police commander Simon Peter Wagama contradicted Mutabazi when he said the meeting was legal and should go on.
“This (hall) isn’t a public venue. It’s a closed venue. The meeting is lawful. Even the IGP (Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Wamala Katumba) is aware,†Wagama said as Mutabazi looked on.
But he did not commit himself as to whether the rowdy youth would be brought to book.
Musumba accused energy state minister Daudi Migereko and the Movement Caucus vice-chairman, Moses Kizige, of master-minding the attack.
“This is Migereko at his best. It’s a good experience. We have brought the Movement plan forward. It goes beyond doubt that it was stage-managed,†she said.
Migereko said he only encouraged the youth to attend.
“I organised them and encouraged them to go and exchange ideas to market the NRM point of view.â€
And when they went there, they were denied entry and they forced their way in. Her (Musumba’s) being roughed up was because of her rude language,†Migereko said on phone.
By press time, Wagama was leading the MPs back to the hall to continue the meeting.
Ends