Police stops Mao Rally

Police  this  afternoon stopped Democratic Party (DP) president Norbert Mao from holding a rally at  Kaunda Ground in Gulu town.

At the time of filing this story, Mao and other political leaders from the district and the Acholi region were still at the venue of the rally.

Police is stopping residents from accessing the venue. A crowd is building up along the Gulu- Lacor road, opposite the venue of the rally.

The rally was supposed to have began at by 2pm but police deployed on the ground to bloc people from accessing the venue.

When Mao arrived at the venue, the public address system had been confiscated by the police and the venue blocked.

“You are delaying us. Why have you confiscated my public address system,” Mao asked one of the police officers.

In the letter dated June 14, to the Inspector General of Police Kale Kayihura, Mao said the rally will be ‘‘a nonpartisan gathering of people in and around Gulu to take a clear stand  for truth, justice and peace.’’

Expected at the rally, according to the Mao letter to Kayihura, was Minister Hillary Onek. Also invited are the Gulu District Police Commander, the Resident District Commissioner and the 4^th Division commander. But Onek and the other government- leaning officials were a no show. Only the district police commander Martin Okoyo was at the venue to block the rally.

Lyandro Komakech, the Gulu Municipality MP condemned the action of the police. Komakech told Acholi Times that the issues for discussion at the rally was for the benefit of all the people in Gulu including security officers.

“You know the public order management act has crippled many leaders. And you can imagine the rally would benefit even the security people but they are stopping us”, Komakech said.

Since the passing of the Public Order Management Act, Opposition leaders have been at war with the police with the leaders saying the law simply requires them to inform the police and not to seek permission. Police  counters that they need to clear the public gatherings.

Speaking to the press, Martin Okoyo, the Gulu District Police Commander said Mao had not received clearance from police to hold the rally.

“We have not got communication from Kampala allowing him to have a rally here. We are concerned about the security of the people of Gulu. You know we had an attack and we do not want it happened again,” said Okoyo.

Gulu Central Police was on Sunday last week attacked by unknown armed men. The police and army said the armed men had wanted to rescue some suspects being held at the central police at the time of the attack.  Todate, the identity of the attackers is still unclear with the police and the army at times giving contradictory information on what happened.

Anthony Akol, the MP for Kilak North who is one of the leaders at the venue of the rally asked the police to desist from blocking opposition rallies.