Masindi in Museveni, FDC fever

Jun 27, 2005

Masindi residents were on Sunday caught up in panic and excitement on realising that President Yoweri Museveni was in the area.

By Martin Kaahwa

Masindi residents were on Sunday caught up in panic and excitement on realising that President Yoweri Museveni was in the area.

They were overwhelmed by his enormous security team.

However, some panicked on hearing that Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) members like Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu were in the district as well.

Many UPDF soldiers under the Presidential Guard Brigade and Internal Security Organisation vehicles touring the area added on the panic.

Museveni passed thro-ugh the town at 11:30am on his way to Para lodge, where he attended a meeting with the Acholi and Langi elders.

As Museveni’s long motorcade attracted hundreds of people, FDC’s vice-chairperson Sam Njuba and Beti Kamya were pleading with the landlady of a commercial building housing an FDC office to allow them access to the office.

“They dealt with a wrong person, a man called Fred Kalulu, who had earlier rented this room. Kalulu wanted to open a drug shop here but he failed to get a medical licence. A week after paying, he came to me to refund his money but I did not have it at that time.

When he saw FDC members looking for an office, he convinced them to give him money and take the room without informing me,” Christine Kanyunyuzi, the landlord, said. She said she was not willing to rent out a room to FDC.

After failing to convince the landlord, Njuba and Kamya relocated for a brief meeting at Hotel Victory Bijja in Masindi town.

The presence of soldiers and policemen caused panic among FDC supporters attending the rally but their leaders assured them of security.

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