A team of police officers led by Johnstone Tumuhamye, the Officer in Charge of Kyannamukaaka Police Station blocked the organizers from launching it. The stormed the play grounds and ordered football players, fans and organizers to vacate immediately, saying they hadn’t been granted permission to carry out such an activity.
Police have blocked a sports tournament organised by Richard Ssebamala, the political rival of Vice President Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi in Bukoto Central Constituency.
Ssebamala had organised the Easter tournament as one of his mobilisation strategies for the 2021 polls. The tournament was expected to kick off at Kamuzinda playgrounds in Kyannamukaaka Sub County on Sunday afternoon.
However, a team of police officers led by Johnstone Tumuhamye, the Officer in Charge of Kyannamukaaka Police Station blocked the organizers from launching it.
The stormed the play grounds and ordered football players, fans and organizers to vacate immediately, saying they hadn’t been granted permission to carry out such an activity.
Tumuhamye explained that the same playground had earlier on been booked to host another tournament sponsored by the Vice President involving schools in the constituency.
Muddu Baziri, the organizing committee Chairperson accused police of political bias, saying they officially notified police about the tournament and no objection was raised.
Juliet Nabakooza, the Captain of the female netball team told URN that this was the second time such a tournament was being organised and wondered why security blocked it without justifiable reasons.
//Cue in: (Luganda) “buli muntu…
Cue out;….teyina kubaawo.”//
Richard Ssebamala, the Chief organiser of the tournament, says they will not relent on their preparations, arguing that they are going to pursue police legally for interfering with their activities.
Ssebamala also explained that they perused through Ssekandi’s Sports tournament fixture and realised there were no matches scheduled to take place at Kamuzinda playground and wonders why police blocked them.
//Cue in: “ tetusobola police….
Cue out; ….anaba awangudde.”//
Mudashir Bbaale, the Speaker Kyesiiga Sub County and Ssekandi’s chief campaign mobilisers argues that the tournament organizers are just confrontational.
He alleges that the group’s intention was to interrupt Vice President’s sports tournament, which was launched earlier in the area.
In May 2019, police also blocked Ssekandi’s other rival, Godfrey Sseremba from distributing coffee seedlings to farmers in Bukoto Central Constituency.
Story by Ezekiel Ssekweyama
