Bobi Wine’s wife Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi was reportedly assaulted by a police team on Thursday in Nakaseke, Luweero, as she sought to assist vulnerable groups of people.
On Thursday, Barbie Itungo Kyagulanyi wife to the National Unity Platform party president Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine was reportedly assaulted by a team of police officers as she tried to extend assistance to vulnerable groups of people in Nakaseke in Luweero.
In a statement via her social media handle, however, Barbie who described the incident as a disheartening one said she was in the company of some legislators as they donated various women empowerment items when suddenly the police started spraying tear gas and firing live bullets to disperse them.
“Today morning, I travelled to Kikamulo Health Centre III in Nakaseke District to deliver charitable items on behalf of Caring Hearts Uganda, a charitable organisation. This is an event about which Hon. Allan Mayanja of Nakaseke Central had informed in advance District authorities including the DPC Mr. Kwesiga John and the RDC Mr. Nayebale Kyamuzigita who according to Hon. Mayanja did not indicate any objection to it,” Barbie wrote.
“In the company of Hon. Brenda Nabukenya (Woman MP, Luwero District), Hon. Allan Mayanja (Nakaseke Central) and Hon. Lukalidde Hassan Kirumira (MP, Katikamu South), we arrived at the Health Center only to find heavy deployment of security officers commanded by the DPC Mr. Kwesiga. Also present were pregnant women and teenage mothers who had come to receive some of the relief items.”
She said as soon as the legislators got out of their vehicles to speak to the DPC, police officers immediately started firing teargas and bullets at the group and those inside the health centre to disperse them.
Barbie said this caused commotion as pregnant women, children and other people who had gathered in the proper observance of Covid-19 guidelines fled in different directions to escape the unprovoked terror.
“Two ladies including an NTV Journalist were subsequently injured by teargas canisters and bullets fired at close range by the security officers. I was quickly evacuated from the scene and driven towards Bombo Town as police officers pursued us. Once in Bombo Town, we found a heavy security roadblock at which our vehicle was blocked and we were then ordered to return wherever you are coming from,” she said.
“We were forced to make a U-turn, and then asked to follow security officers in plain clothes who were travelling in a white Toyota Corolla. There was a quick change of mind when After a few minutes, the officers abruptly stopped and ordered us to make another U-turn and proceed again with our journey to Kampala. We did as instructed and reached home safely.”
She added that the same people who were supposed to accord them security are the very ones that caused havoc in the area. She disclosed that this caused them to abandon several items at the health centre including the truck carrying the goods that had to be delivered.
She revealed that many of these items including maternity beds, re-usable sanitary pads, ‘mama’ birth kits, jerricans of sanitiser, liquid soap, bar soap, basins, and clothes for newborn babies were meant to go to the teenage girls who got pregnant following a lockdown on schools.
“It is disheartening to see officers who should have provided security committing violence against the same vulnerable people they were supposed to protect, in an unexplained effort to block good samaritans from coming to their aid. Despite the harrowing experience, we are currently engaging with relevant authorities in the district to ensure that the charitable items at least reach their intended beneficiaries,” Barbie noted.
