Police blocks Lukwago's city tour and rally

By Moses Mulondo

The police have denied the Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago permission for inspection of civil works in the city and a political rally slated for Thursday.

Responding to a letter Lukwago wrote to police, the Kampala Metropolitan police commander Andrew Kaweesi on Wednesday said they could not permit Lukwago’s activities because his letter lacked more details of what he had planned to do.

“Police would like you to give more details on a clear description of the road works you intend to inspect and their exact locations. This is done to avoid a repeat of a similar inspection exercise you carried out in the city early this year where you intentionally changed the intended inspection into a political procession that later turned violent leading to the gruesome murder of a police officer, Ariong John Bosco,” Kaweesi told Lukwago in a letter he wrote to him.

Kawesi also gave Lukwago another condition of naming the leaders that intend to accompany him during the inspection and those who would attend his rally at Kalerwe.

“Note that the rally should not be an extension of the activities of the outlawed A4C and AGC in both form and content, and should this be the case, the police shall not allow such an unlawful activity to take place,” Kaweesi said.

He also asked Lukwago for more details concerning his inspection including the names of the leaders that intend to accompany him.

 “The location for the rally shall not be on a public road, a market or a car park. Should this be the case, the police shall not allow such an unlawful activity to take place,” Kawesi said.

In a letter dated October 22, 2012 (Monday), Lukwago notified police that he would he and other political leaders would inspect civil works at Lubigi drainage channel, Kisaasi and Kawempe Ttula road in Kawempe division, and there after address a public gathering at Kalerwe on a wide range of issues.

He had requested police to accord all the necessary assistance to the Kawempe division mayor Mubarak Munyagwa whom he mandated to coordinate the activities.

Asked to comment on Kaweesi’s letter, Lukwago said, “I have done what the law requires me to do; to notify police. Let them be there to monitor what I will be doing. I have no plans of causing chaos. As the political leader of Kampala city, I have to interact with my electorate and inspect the civil works.”