Police in Mbale fired teargas to disperse supporters of Democratic Party (DP) presidential candidate Norbert Mao who had gathered to listen to his campaign message.
Mao who was campaigning in Bugisu region, entered Mbale town at around 5:00 pm from Bulambuli and Sironko districts on Saturday. He was however blocked by police headed by Mbale district police commander, Fred Ahimbisibwe from campaigning in Mbale town.
Mao had earlier accessed the central business district trying to meet his supporters at Market Street, prompting police to use tear gas to disperse the supporters who were chanting DP slogans and demanding for change.
Police had a hard time with Mao’s convoy and supporters who endlessly kept on rotating around the Clock Tower. Police later managed to force Mao and his team out of town up to Wash and Wills hotel.
According to police, they didn’t have any plan of Mao being in town, and that they wanted him to go to the designated campaign venue if any but not in the central business district.
But Mao expressed disappointment with police, saying that they failed him from speaking to people who were eagerly waiting for him even after his campaign program indicated he was supposed to be in Mbale. He said that even in Sironko, he did not manage to speak to his supporters due to similar conduct of the police.
Mao later addressed journalists at Wash and Wills hotel where he tabled his plans for the Bugisu region if voted president. According to him, the DP government plans to revive the Bugisu Cooperative Union which he said was killed by the current government.
He said that people of Bugisu who are sitting on minerals and Arabica coffee have been impoverished through middlemen who are orchestrated by the regime.
Mao promised that his government will ensure a proper resettlement plan to combat the increasing cases of people dying as a result of landslides in Bugisu sub region through setting up a national disaster and land fund. In the education sector, Mao says that his government will ensure there is a university in every sub region within the country.
Paul Butita, the Bugisu region DP coordinator said that it is time Museveni’s government excused Ugandans because everyone is tired of him and that he has failed to deliver on his promises especially those he made to the people of Bugisu.