Ever since the political atmosphere shot up in Uganda, members of the ruling party, the National Resistance Movement –NRM, have been at the fore front of breaking Covid19 Standard Operating Procedures –SOPs.
One may argue that all politicians including Opposition bigwigs are currently violating Covid19 SOPs, but it should be remembered that all this was started by NRM that organized its primaries through lining up. NRM subscribers would dance and booze whenever their candidates won the race in the watch of police.
The crowding that marred NRM primaries made several people to wonder whether Covid19 is meant for Opposition while NRM members are immune. Every day, police confronts Opposition politicians with excessive force while they guard NRM supporters whose crowds are in most cases doubling those of Opposition.
Police targets Opposition politicians both at presidential and MP levels claiming that they are implementing Covid19 orders. A number of Opposition supporters have been arrested, tortured, brutalized and maimed all in the name of implementing Covid19 SOPs.
For instance, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the National Unity Platform –NUP presidential flagbearer, has faced off with police wherever he is going canvasing for votes that would enable him dislodge President Yoweri Museveni who has been in power for close to 40 years.
In Mbale, police commanded by Assistant Superintendent of Police –ASP Ibrahim Asiimwe, almost killed Bobi Wine on Sunday when teargas canister was thrown inside his vehicle. In Mayuge, Frank Mwesigwa, commanded police that knocked almost to death four NUP supporters.
Forum for Democratic Change –FDC presidential flagbearer, Patrick Oboi Amuriat, has been teargassed and embarrassed by police claiming they are enforcing Covid19 directives. Rallies of Amuriat and Bobi Wine have been interrupted.
To the contrary, today the incumbent Yoweri Museveni campaigned in Gulu City where hundreds of NRM members gathered but they were not teargassed except being protected by Uganda police force and Uganda People’s Defence Forces-UPDF.
Local musician, Moses Ssali alias Bebe Cool, was in Arua at the weekend where hundreds of NRM members made procession under the watch of police. NRM Secretary General, Kasule Lumumba, has repeatedly called upon police to arrest her party members defying Covid19 SOPs. But can police really arrest regime ‘children’?