POLICE EXPLAINS DEPLOYMENT IN ARUA CITY AFTER KAMPALA PROTESTS

Some of the soldiers manning the entrance to the city on Thursday July 25, 2024. Photo by Godwin Abedican
 
By Godwin Abedican

Arua City

Arua city headquarters and police station on Thursday July 25, 2024 was heavily guarded with police and military deployment in want the security leadership says was a preventive deployment to counter an intended march by the public to the city council offices over corruption.

This comes after Information was circulated on social media about a group of youth organizing a march to the city council offices on July 25th at 9 am as part of what started as a nationwide peaceful protest and march to the parliament over corruption which commenced in Kampala on Tuesday 23rd July 2024.

According to SSP Josephine Angucia, the regional police spokesperson for West Nile, the deployments were a measure to ensure safety of the people in the city
“The deployment was a preventive measure to prevent any eventuality that could happen in the city. As police we didn’t get any informant on a demonstration.
Demonstrations are supposed to be guided and the area police is supposed to be informed about it. We were not officially informed. We saw the information on social media and against that background we had to make deployment to ensure that such a type of movement doesn’t take place in the city. Personally, I spoke to the youth leaders in the city and they said they are not aware of any such plans. It seems some people sat at some secret places and did some work on social media to send threatening messages to the community trying to incite the community," Angucia said.
 
SSP Josephine Angucia police PRO West Nile addressing the media.
Photo by Godwin Abedican

Onzima Erick Moses, a city dweller in Arua expresses his disappointment saying barring the youth from expressing their pain shows lack of commitment from the government to fight corruption “Personally, I am not happy with the rate of corruption in this country. One person steals billions of money and yet Ugandan taxpayers are suffering, meaning that all the moneys we pay inform of taxes go into the pockets of a few individuals. If you go to the hospitals there are no drugs, in schools, children are sitting on the floor and under trees to be taught. The president has to take the fight against corruption seriously. The regime should leave people to demonstrate peacefully because the issue of corruption affects each and every Ugandan,” he said in anger.

Amati Asizua Herbert while speaking to the media as a concerned youth in Arua city says that, given all that is going on in the country is causing a lot of pain in the hears of the youth who are right to stand up against corruption. “As the youth in Arua city we stand in solidarity with the country and all the GenZs of the country. We are saying we are tired of corruption in the country. The youth have put up very clear demands that are practically seen that what they are demanding to be changed are affecting the country,” Asizua said.

Odama Ronald, a student of Makerere university commonly known as the Oppressed Lugbara, condemns the arrest of the youth who are protesting over a reality affecting the entire nation “we are demanding that our fellow colleagues who were arrested on the streets of Kampala be released because they had a peaceful match on the streets of the city. They didn’t do anything wrong”  

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, in his address to the nation on 20th July 2024, said any one who attempts to march to the parliament over corruption would be playing with fire.

Capt. Edwin Mawanda, the UPDF spokesperson for West Nile subregion assured the public that the forces are in full control over any public disruptions through any forms of demonstrations

“As UPDF we are ready to reinforce our sister forces. and the police is always in the lead in such operations. I want to e-assure our people in Arua particularly and West Nile in general to remain calm, such that we can ensure peace and security in the entire country.  As UPDF and sister force we are on ground to make sure that Uganda is safe and we shall continue to protect people and their property,” Capt. Mawanda said.

By press time there was heavy deployment at Arua central police station from morning throughout the day with restricted entry and thorough checking of all people working and accessing services at the city headquarters before being allowed in to the premises