The National Unity Platform (NUP) protests in the US against the presence of President Museveni have taken a different twist as police swung into action to “manhandle” one of the protesters out of the hotel where the NRM national chairman was meeting with other leaders.
A woman identified as Ms Hellen Nandaula, a member of the Chicago Ugandan Community in videos this publication has seen, was escorted by the US police out of the hotel in Chicago, US as she protested against being blocked from President Museveni questions during the meeting.
During the melee, one of the people on the camera recording the incident was heard saying, “I am a journalist, the army of (President)Museveni shot me on the head and they wanted me dead during the campaigns of Uganda in 2021. Why is President Biden keeping quiet about these human rights violations?”
This publication could not independently verify whose voice that was and whether it belonged to a Ugandan journalist.
According to witnesses, Ms Nandaula was reportedly approached by unidentified men at her seat during the event who took away her event pass and asked her to leave the premises of the meeting because she was not meant to be in the event.
Shortly after the incident, the NUP leadership in Chicago released a statement condemning the acts of the police.
“We strongly condemn and find the actions of the event organizers and the manner in which Hellen was profiled, physic
ally assaulted, humiliated and harassed inexcusable. Hellen has not made a decision yet on whether charges will be filed against the event organizers that include the Africa Global Chamber of Commerce and the individuals that physically assaulted them and dragged Hellen out of the event venue without any provocation. If this event was organized specifically for NRM supporters in the United States, that should have been communicated and made clear to registrants to avoid this incident,” in part read a statement signed off by Dr Daniel Kawuma, the leader of the US NUP chapter.
The diaspora team has for the last four days been on the streets holding placards and agitating for the US President Joe Biden to sound out his colleague President Museveni on what they called human rights violations in the country.
The demonstrations that were staged on separate days in Washington DC started the day President Museveni landed in the US ahead of the US-Africa leadership summit as they held pictures of some of the people NUP has displayed to be missing for the last two years.
Mr Faruk Kirunda, the Presidential Press Secretary said using his official Twitter handle that, “After diasporian dissenters massively mobilising, tarnishing the name of Uganda and the personality of President Museveni, only to get a paltry number of mere walkers. What lessons can we learn from this flop? What name can we give this movie? “
The NUP US chapter had earlier petitioned the White House and Secretary of State indicating among other demands; to hold the Uganda government accountable for violating freedom of speech, freedom of press and the right to assembly. There is a need and urgency to ensure that the worsening situation is addressed swiftly and transparently with full respect for the Rule of Law, and of the individual rights and liberties of all concerned, the release of all political prisoners that have been arrested and abducted. In addition to that, the tortured victims should be allowed to seek adequate medical care and to grant freedom of movement and expression to the opposition leaders, whose current freedoms are grossly limited and curtailed.”
The other demands include, “Account for the missing persons who have been abducted, refrain from the heavy-handed treatment of citizens who dare to voice any opinions contrary to the views and actions of the current regime.”
Mr Joel Ssemakula, one of the NUP leaders in the diaspora said, “The demos are organized by Ugandans in the United States who want to see a better country governed in accordance with the rule of law and respect for human rights. What we see are continued abductions, torture and murder of National Unity Platform supporters, the military has surpassed the courts and that is not good for the country. We demonstrate to show the world the decayed justice system in Uganda. We want to see the Ugandan government stop the abductions and torture of people in torture chambers, we want to see all those arrested for political reasons released including Hon Sewanyana and Hon Segirinya.”
A fortnight ago, the opposition held a conference in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital demanding the government of Uganda to account for the death of people in the November 18-19, 2020 riots who lost their lives as well as the continued abductions of some of their supporters some of whom they said that have been missing for two years now.
The leaders indicated that such a conference would be met by brutal arrests and dispersed by teargas and live bullets as they are hounded off the streets.
On the same day, a team from the NUP led by Mityana Municipality MP Francis Zaake attempted to hold a protest over the same matter in Kampala, the police threw teargas canisters and blocked them from proceeding to Parliament.
During the campaigns of the 2021 Presidential elections, sporadic protests ensued across the country especially in the central after the arrest of party candidate Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, the police swung into action, killing 54 people.
Although President Museveni promised to compensate the families of those that a Criminal Investigative Department Report (CID) regarded to have succumbed to wounds caused by stray bullets, most of them have since been seen on media platforms indicating that they have neither met justice nor helped.
Dr Daniel Kawuma, the leader of the NUP US chapter, told this publication on Saturday that, “We have achieved their intentions and we have been promised by the authorities here to have the matter reviewed. We have since seen sanctions and I know more are to come.”
