People Power Movement activists and supporters in Gulu District are set to proceed with their planned consultative meeting on Tuesday despite the absence of their leader, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.
The presidential hopeful, who is also Kyadondo East Member of Parliament, was arrested by police on Monday in Gayaza Wakiso District alongside several other activists before they could launch their nationwide consultative meetings on his presidential ambitions.
Police blocked the meeting accusing the MP and his colleagues of failing to comply with some provisions of the Public Order Management Act and Electoral Commission guidelines regarding such meetings.
The MP was scheduled to conduct his second consultative meeting with his Acholi sub-region supporters in Gulu town on Tuesday.
Despite the arrest, his mobilisers in Gulu say, the planned meeting will proceed regardless of the absence of their leader.
Mr Sebastian Ogoni, the acting People Power Movement Northern Youth Coordinator, says the arbitrary arrest of their leaders shows how the government is scared of the “anticipated wind of change.”
Ms Gladys Laker Otto, the Gulu District People Power Women League Chairperson asked the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party under President Yoweri Museveni to respect the rule of law.
Acholi Region People Power coordinator, Mr Tonny Olanya Olenge, said that the youth have been adequately mobilised to advance the group’s ideology and messages that resonate with them.
However, Mr Patrick Jimmy Okema, the Aswa River Region Police spokesperson declined to confirm whether the organisers of the meeting have been cleared by security, saying he needed more time to consult.
The mobilisers have booked De Covenant, a hangout in Layibi Division in Gulu Municipality to host the consultations.
Last week, the management of JAFLO Hotel that belongs to Jackson Omona, the Kitgum District chairperson cancelled a booking by the People Power Movement to hold their consultations over alleged security threats.
In December, Bobi Wine wrote to the Electoral Commission revealing his intentions to conduct nationwide consultations about his presidential bid and was cleared.
However, police disrupted the first Gayaza meeting, with a narrative that People Power Movement leaders did not fulfill all the requirements as provided for in the Public Order Management Act.