The business community in Kampala city has warned the opposition against the planned protests in the city before and after May 12th aimed at stopping President Museveni from being sworn in after winning the January 14th presidential election.
The traders say such unfortunate idea by the opposition groups who are nursing election wounds are always heavily characterized by grave incidents of property damage and vandalism affecting their businesses already negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Many businesses across in and outside Kampala have experienced such damages during these opposition protests through lootings, burning and injuring owners and customers .Many especially those lacking insurance and access to capital are left vulnerable to additional damages by the street protests and have a much harder time recovering.
According to a source at Kampala City Traders Association (KACITA) the leadership of the city traders this week will hold a meeting to discuss the response to any chaos outbreak and how to defend their business.
They want government and security agencies to protect their businesses from destruction in case of any riots.
This comes after security got intelligence information that some opposition leaders and vigilante groups have been aggressively regrouping and recruiting youths in Kampala slum areas with an objective of disrupting the swearing in ceremony of the President elect.
Intelligence has information that the protests are being spearheaded by the opposition politicians led by the Uganda Young Democrats president Kiirya Ismail, Ssewanyana Nelson aka Nigga II Of Rubaga Division, a pressure group called ‘Kazinga Senene’ originally under Kawempe Republic led by Kagwa Vincent , Bukenya Moses aka Wiser man Publicity Secretary, Kemigisha Sharon, Bagonza Thomas (Kawempe L.C.III Councilor) and Rehema Woman Councilor.
Top NUP opposition protest coordinators are Abubaker Kawalya MP Elect Rubaga South; Cyrus Ssambwa Kasato Nansana Municipality elected Councilor, Kizza Hakim, District Councilor Elect for Lubaga North and Nusifa Nakato District Councilor Elect for Kawempe.
It has been established that Abubakar Kawalya the MP Elect has been conducting meetings with some of the leaders at Rammings Hotel along Balintuma Road in Mengo.
They plan to launch their defiance violent campaign from 3rd -12 May 2021.
Nusifa Nakato District Councilor Elect for Kawempe and others are planning to intensify the manufacturing and spreading of harmful propaganda labeled ‘Tajja Kulayira’ through the use of leaflets through the social media and funding several media houses and journalist to spread false and malicious messages to discredit the swearing in ceremony and humiliate Government.
They also plan to attack Government installations, vehicles and officials, and some investors that are sympathizing with the government, burning major fuels stations, blocking major roads with stones, burning tyres.
According to sources a consignment of several factories that are making catapults in Kampala city is believed to have been imported into the country by negative elements as tools of violence, and linked to the group. The group is also said to be behind the kidnap and killings of girls and women around the city.
Police recently revealed that some of these youths and others at large are armed with very dangerous weapons like factory made catapults, machetes, axes, and other crude weapons like petrol bombs which they intend to use to cause public disorder.
However, police has warned Ugandans most especially the youth to desist from being used by some opposition opportunists in order to fulfill their selfish interests.
Security has also warned youths who are being lured into these activities to desist from them because they are going to be victims, since they cannot stop the swearing in ceremony.