Kyagulanyi with hundreds of his supporters wanted to access the Masindi town for another rally prompting anti-riot police and the UPDF under the command of Vincent Irama, the Masindi District Police commander to block him.
Richard Seruggo, one of the passers-by who felt the wrath of teargas, says he was minding his business when he saw a police van throwing teargas. He says there was no chaos in the area and many people were going about their normal businesses.
Supporters of both parties had converged at Duhaga Roundabout in Hoima West Division for a planning meeting ahead of the 2021 general elections. It is alleged that the meeting was going to be chaired by Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, the National Unity Platform Principal and champion of the People Power pressure group.
Reports indicate that Asinansi Kamanda Nyakato, the FDC candidate in the Hoima Parliamentary race had been blocked from accessing radio stations across the district. FDC supporters claim that the move was planned by the government through the district security committee which issued a directive to proprietors of all the radio stations to block Nyakato’s access.
