Armed man disrupts Mayor Lukwago meeting

Jan 07, 2012

A meeting convened by the Kampala mayor, Erias Lukwago to review the KCCA budget was aborted amidst claims that there was a plot to kill him.

By Juliet Waiswa and Pascal Kwesiga 

A meeting convened by the Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago on Friday to review Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) budget was aborted amidst claims that there was a plot to assassinate him.

Before the meeting also meant to set up a Public Account Committee to oversee activities of KCCA could start, an unidentified armed man tried to force himself into the office of the Lord Mayor where the meeting was to take place. 

The man, who arrived in company of Makerere University councilor, Benard Luyiga, clashed with Lukwago’s bodyguards as he tried to storm the mayor’s parlor. 

Drama

Armed with a pistol and dressed casually, he gained access to the building after refusing to be checked at the main entrance to the KCCA headquarters.

He clashed with Lukwago’s minders for close to 30 minutes as they tried to force him to identify himself and surrender his gun.

Still unidentified, the man was eventually overpowered by Lukwago’s police body guards who disarmed him as they led him away from the KCCA premises. 

There was a dramatic twist to the entire incident as the man finally revealed he was a police officer, upon which his gun was returned.

Bodyguard, but still unidentified

Later it emerged that the man was a bodyguard of Luyiga, who was in the Lord Mayor’s office to attend the meeting.

About an hour later, armed Police men led by the Kampala District Police Commander, Norman Musinga stormed KCCA premises after receiving reports about the incident.

Musinga ordered Luyiga out of the Mayor’s parlour and drove him away in a police car to record statements in regard to the incident. The police however could not identify Luyiga’s body guard.

The police commander told the press that a bodyguard was recently assigned to provide protection to Luyiga after he complained to the Inspectorate of Police that he had received threats against his life.

“The Lord Mayor has been claiming that Museveni wants to kill people but he is the one who wants to finish all of us. This is a shame to the people of Kampala,” Luyiga said as he boarded the police car. 

Luyiga and Sulaiman Kidandala were fronted by the Lord Mayor for the post of deputy Lord Mayor but Lukwago chose Kidandala when council allowed him to select between the two. 

Since then, there has been bad blood among Lukwago, Luyiga and NRM councilors over his choice.

Musinga explained that police was investigating alleged threats against Luyiga, adding that his bodyguard will have to appear before the disciplinary committee for misconduct.

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