Kitgum Youth Received UGX 190,000 to Stage Illegal Roadblock

The youths who were arrested for staging an illegal roadblock while purportedly hunting for people power supporters in Orom Sub County, Kitgum District were paid to stage the act, according to one of the area leaders.  

The suspects were arrested on Saturday in Lujorongole Village armed with clubs, catapult, stones and metal objects. They were reportedly stopping vehicles and searching the occupants, a short distance from where hundreds of people had gathered to send off the mother to Gulu Resident District Commissioner Maj Santos Okot Lapolo.  

The youthful suspects who mostly hail from Namukora Sub-county were however released on Monday without any charges. Namukora LC III Chairperson Robert Ocan told URN in an exclusive interview that the youth disclosed that they were coerced by some top government officials in the district to stage the action.  

Ocan says about 20 youth were mobilized to purportedly wait for Kyadondo East Legislator Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine who was rumoured to be on his way with a team of his supporters to attend the burial ceremony. 

According to Ocan, the youth reportedly disclosed that they were first given 90,000 Shillings to divide among themselves adding that an additional balance of 100,000 was paid later after successfully staging the roadblock. 

He says the act of paying up youth to stage such an illegal roadblock other than encouraging them to do rightful things was humiliating.  “We are not happy with what happened over the weekend, we want to warn these government officials to desist from luring the youth into partisan and cheap politics,” he says. He, however, declined to name those who coerced the youth. 

Ocan also warned the youth in his area not to accept being used by politicians and security personnel in fulfilling their interests. 

Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema says he wasn’t aware of the claims. He, however, says the suspects will still face charges of holding an illegal roadblock once investigations are complete. 

The Kitgum Resident District Commissioner William Komakech in an earlier interview says the suspects who were released without any charges will be reporting from home on a daily basis to police as investigations into the matter continue.