Police yesterday (Wednesday) arrested three members of the NRM Youth League who had organised a gathering against the proposed Constitutional Amendment Bill at Makerere University guest house.
The young men were led by Robert Rutaro who was guild president of Makerere in 2008, under the NRM ticket.
They are all members of the NRM Youth League and had gathered under the umbrella UB40 (Ugandans Below 40).
“Time is now for Uganda to have a peaceful change of power. Attempting to remove the age limit would be an unfair decision for the young generation,” Rutaro, reportedly told journalists shortly before he was arrested.
Whilst briefing the press, Police officers (notable among them former Mitchell hall culture minister Afande Jude Masingano) ended it abruptly as they offered to play hide and seek with the young men.
While displaying certificates from Kyankwanzi, the youths exchanged with the police before they were surrounded and apprehended. Eria Musoke and Walakira Hamidu Luutu were among the arrested.
“We are determined to organise demonstrations and other campaigns to oppose the age limit bill”, Habib Mboowa, who was also part of them, told reporters.
“We agree that President Museveni has been a good leader and he should finish his term peacefully but we will not allow tampering with the constitution,” Mboowa emphasised.
The youth maintain that the bill is intended to deny them a chance to serve their country and have vowed to de-campaign whoever supports the bill.
Mboowa is also known for being behind the wave of demonstrations supporting the candidature of former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi in 2014 under the NRM Poor Youth.
He and the group were later to be seen chanting M7 Pakalast.
The O/C of Makerere university police, Denis Kasibante said the group had convened an illegal assembly without notifying police.
“We could not allow an illegal meeting to continue,” he said.
Suffice to note is that, in March 2008, Robert Rutaro won the Makerere University guild race on an NRM ticket, trouncing eight others. Rutaro brought back NRM leadership at Makerere after almost a decade in the cold.
Had it not been for 2010’s John Teira (NRM), who won after votes from Nkrumah, Africa and Nsibirwa constituencies were nullified, Rutaro would be the last guild president NRM has ever had at Makerere.
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