Bobby Wayne: Protests are deadly in Kampala as the hype over the arrest of Bobby Wayne continues
At a press conference on Thursday, the Ugandan Police Chief Pathologist, Moses Byaruhanga, said 14 of the deaths were caused by gunshot wounds. The death toll only includes victims who were brought to the city morgue.
At the same press conference, a Kampala police spokesman, Patrick Onyango, said that more than 300 people had been arrested as the protests continued.
He has been denied access to his lawyer and medical team, according to a tweet from Wayne’s official account on Thursday.
“Only army and police officers can access him. All people of sound conscience must condemn the violation of his rights with impunity,” the statement said.
The Ugandan police did not immediately respond to CNN’s calls, but in a statement posted on its official website on Wednesday, the Inspector General indicated tougher enforcement of Covid-19 around the campaign events.
While authorities have said the restrictions are necessary to curb the spread of Covid-19, members of the opposition say they are an excuse to curb the election campaigns and intimidate opposition supporters ahead of the upcoming January elections.
Following news of Wayne’s arrest, protesters took to the streets of Kampala and clashed with police and the military, who responded with tear gas.
Another presidential candidate, Mugisha Montu, announced that he would pause his campaign until Wayne’s release.
“The government must ensure the safety of all candidates in the elections and their supporters, regardless of political affiliations,” European Union foreign affairs representative Josep Borrell Fontelles wrote on Twitter on Thursday.
The Uganda Red Cross said on Thursday that it was providing medical assistance to injured people during the protests.
He joined politics as an independent in 2017 and has remained a thorn in President Yoweri Museveni’s side, denouncing his policies and singing songs against his government.
Wayne’s presidential bid now challenges Museveni’s three-decade-old grip on power. He was arrested earlier in early November after he handed his nomination papers to the Elections Commission.
CNN’s Ewen McSweeney and Brent Swales contributed to this report.
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