How Amuriat's Kampala campaigns flopped

Amuriat was supposed to campaign in Nakawa and Kawempe, according to the Electoral Commission schedule for presidential candidates.

#ElectionsWatch2021|FDC|AMURIAT

KAMPALA - Attempts by Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Patrick Oboi Amuriat to campaign in Kampala ended in futility on Thursday (December 17, 2020).

Amuriat was supposed to campaign in Nakawa and Kawempe, according to the Electoral Commission schedule for presidential candidates, but he accomplished none of those targets.

Instead, the FDC president spent the day in running battles with the security forces, and these clashes swept through nearly the entire city.

Amuriat spent the day in running battles with the security forces.

Amuriat's campaigns started at about 9:20 am when he made a stopover at Naguru market. Here a small army of supporters blocked him in the middle of the road and asked that he address them.

He obliged and got out of his open roof Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. Soon, however, a music address system mounted onto a truck was blaring music.

It was a traditional rendition featuring some Acholi musician. It was so captivating, he asked his security to allow him out of his car. Soon he had joined the supporters, who were now dancing to the music in the middle of the road, blocking the morning traffic.

Amuriat reminded the people of Naguru about their responsibility as the clock ticks to the January 14 general elections.

After about five minutes, he returned to his vehicle. But again the dance went off and he returned.

When the dance was over, Amuriat reminded the people of Naguru about their responsibility as the clock ticks to the January 14 general elections.

"Naguru is a great place; in fact, I call it the United Nations of Uganda because it is made up of all the tribes of Uganda," he said.

The standoffs yielded bountiful amounts of teargas, that created white mist over Kampala's skyline.

"We are here so that we can request you to join us so we can build a new Uganda. Museveni has for the last 35 years fed you on lies. He'll soon come here with more false hope. But don't fall for it; he's the greatest liar South of Sahara."

He said the president's campaign promises, including Boonabagagawale (prosperity for all), Operation Wealth Creation and NAADS have all fallen flat with no benefits to Ugandans.

But the Naguru address was to be the only gathering he would be allowed to address in the city without interference. As his convoy of about seven vehicles set off to his next rally, police blocked him. This set off a number standoff with the security.

The standoffs yielded bountiful amounts of teargas, that created white mist over Kampala's skyline as a combined unit of security forces, including anti-riot police, the army and local defence units battled the FDC supporters.

Some of the affected places included Bwaise, Bugolobi, Luzira, Kasokoso and Lugogo among other places.