There is heavy police and military presence in and around Soroti city ahead of the expected launch of the campaign manifesto of the Forum Democratic Change-FDC presidential candidate Patrick Oboi Amuriat later today.
More than 200 security personnel drawn from the army and police are currently being briefed at Soroti sports ground for further deployment. Shops that always open early are still locked because of the fear by traders of the likely effects of Amuriat’s visit.
Police have already blocked the party from using the Soroti sports ground that was approved by the Soroti district Electoral Commission registrar Charles Egimu citing security reasons. In his letter to FDC, the East Kyoga Region Police Commander Maxwell Onep Ogwal asks the party to find another suitable place or guest house for the event and notify the police.
“According to our intelligence, source of likely activities regulating the crowd and any engagement with them-FDC can cause a fatal impact on people as advised by technical security personal of the Field Force Unit, we have advised them to immediately look for another suitable place to hold their campaign like the mayor’s gardens,” reads the police statement.
On Sunday, a team of police officers led by Soroti District Police Commander Simon Tsiamusangira blocked the FDC presidential envoy led by the Soroti city mayor Paul Omer and Soroti East FDC parliamentary candidate Moses Attan from accessing the Soroti sports grounds where Amuriat was expected to launch his manifesto.
This prompted the district security committee to convene a meeting between Ogwal and FDC leadership which didn’t yield results as police maintained its position.
Moses Attan, the chairperson of the FDC manifesto launch organizing committee is adamant that they will hold their event at Soroti sports ground as planned.
