Police in Gulu City are holding two youth leaders of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party for allegedly staging an illegal protest against regional parliamentary sittings.
David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa regional police spokesperson, said the suspects were arrested by security on Monday, August 26, 2024, from their party’s regional offices in Pisila Road Division in Gulu City.
The arrest comes just a day before the regional parliamentary sitting scheduled to take place from August 28 to August 30, 2024.
The suspects have been identified as Samuel Okello Ssebi, commonly known as Sebastian Ongoni, aged 30, the NUP mobilizer in northern Uganda, and Brian Jakisa, 32, the NUP youth coordinator in charge of the Acholi sub-region.
Ongom said the suspects had placards encrypted with inciting messages against the regional parliamentary sitting.
These arrests are part of broader efforts by security agencies to prevent any disruptions to the regional parliamentary sittings, which are set to begin in Gulu on Wednesday.
“Police got them involved in illegal activities of mobilizing against the regional Parliamentary sitting in Gulu, and they were charged because they were caught with exhibits of inciting messages against the sitting,” said Ongom.
The regional parliamentary sitting in Gulu City is expected to have several economic impacts on local businesses, like increased local spending, job creation and employment, the local business multiplier effect, infrastructure and service utilization, and promotion of local issues and businesses.