The police have said it will not hesitate to invoke the yet ‘virgin’ public order management law as it warned members of the opposition against holding any rallies in the city, contrary to the provisions of the new statute.
Kampala City Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago
Kampala police chief Andrew Felix Kaweesi on Saturday said the police had intercepted intelligence that opposition members, riled by the outcome of the probe report on Kampala Lord Mayor, Erias Lukwago were planning to hold rallies so as to cause chaos in the city.
But Kaweesi said the opposition politicians galvanizing under the operation Force Erias Back Again (FEBA) will not be allowed to hold any rallies in the city if they do not follow provisions in the new law.
“For the Lord Mayor and his colleagues, if they have not followed the procedures they will not be allowed to hold any rally. The law is still virgin and they will be the first to test its full strength and length,” Kaweesi said at a press conference at the Kampala main Central Police Station (CPS) on Saturday.
President Yoweri Museveni on October 2 assented to the Public Order Management Bill, effectively passing it into law. As such the police on Sunday barred the opposition from proceeding with a planned rally in the city slated for Monday.
In cancelling the planned rally which as per the organizers is intended to brief the people about the President’s alleged machinations to disenfranchise the Kampala electorate, the police said the letter written by the organizers fell short of the three day requirement enshrined in the Act, failed to prove consent of the owner of the venue, purpose of the meeting and the number of people expected to attend.
“In view of the above legal requirements which you have not fulfilled the Police wishes to inform you that, your planned public meeting shall not take place as provided under section 6 of the public Order management Act 2013,” a statement issued by deputy police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said.
A three member tribunal chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire which has been probing Lukwago over his conduct since mid this year last Thursday released its report, finding Lukwago guilty of all the charges.
Kaweesi said it is important for people planning to hold rallies to work with the ambit of the law given the current terror threats. He said he will not be selective in applying the law.
“The law will apply to VIPs even MPs and Ministers as long as they have not followed the law,” he said. People, who make inciting statements on media, he said, will not be spared. “We shall pick you from the studio,” he said and appealed to people who are aggrieved to explore other legitimate avenues of resolving problems other than resorting to public disorder.
By Steven Candia,The new Vision
