Police in Jinja City have confirmed that at least 13 National Unity Platform-NUP supporters who were arrested on Sunday Young Men Christian Association- YMCA conference center will be presented in court.
The suspects currently detained at Jinja Central Police Station (CPS) have been charged with staging an illegal assembly under the disguise of holding a wedding reception at the venue.
According to James Mubi, the Kiira Regional Police Spokesperson, the group mobilized other members from Iganga , Kampala and Busia Districts. Led by the Iganga District NUP Coordinator, Ben Kabaka, the NUP youth leaders had converged to discuss their operations.
Mubi says they have also impounded three vehicles including a Benz registration number; UAH 996F and a coaster registration number UAZ 918B, which were used in mobilizing the crowd, in addition to chairs and tents at the venue. The items were towed to the Nalufenya police parking yard.
“We are working expeditiously to have all these inquires exhausted so that these suspects are taken to court. There was a deception at YMCA management because when these people were requesting for space, they said it was for a wedding reception. How it turned into an unlawful assembly is a matter we are investigating,” he said
Prior to his arrest, Kabaka told journalists that they had engaged the Kiira region police personnel about their planned event but he was shocked that they planned to arrest them instead.
Field Force Unit-FFU personnel stormed the venue and dispersed the crowd with teargas. But youth leaders who refused to exit the venue were taken to the Jinja CPS awaiting prosecution.