By Joseph Tumwesigye

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Robert “Bobi Wine” Kyagulanyi made his way to Kyambogo for his nomination that will enable him take part in the 2021 Presidential race more or less, without incident. Honestly, I expected a little more action in this midway finale of the 2021 Uganda elections drama but I guess we judged the police by the cover.

For those who weren’t in the Kampala City centre on Tuesday, this place is “empty” - to use Africa’s exaggerated dialect. It is not surprising as, on top of strict traffic guidelines during the Presidential nomination process, the possibility of violence and clashes between opposition supporters and the Police has kept people away. Violence was expected as Social media prophesied what would be the day before but it did not unfold as it should have.

Apart from a few skirmishes in the morning in areas like Nakawa, everything seemed to be going according to the EC’s plan. Not so much for the boys and girls in Najjanankumbi. Patrick Oboi Amuriat made the mistake of announcing his plans of holding a procession. Hope they give him his shoes back. 

Bobi Wine, his wife Barbra Kyagulanyi and his team showed up, coincidentally with Bob Marley’s “One Love” playing in the EC tent,  with the usual swagger and lack of tear gassed red eyes. He was successfully nominated to be a presidential candidate in the coming 2021 general elections and all seemed well.

Presidential nominations come with a few perks. Two of these are a security car and guards to protect the candidates as they traverse the pearl looking for votes. It was therefore a surprise when police managed to violently arrest the Bad Man from Kamwokya at the electoral commission nomination grounds in Kyambogo.

In his address later on in the day at his home, Bobi Wine claimed that the security detail that was given to him by the Electoral commission was the same that arrested him. NTV Uganda will surely get the Uganda Police force’s side of the story.

Reports suggested that the Police was trying to block Bobi Wine from going to the National Unity Platform (NUP) headquarters in Kamwokya. Mind you, the police have been blocking the Old Kira road in Kamwokya which leads to the NUP offices since Monday. Looks like the plan to make sure that Bobi Wine does not access his office was already in high gear a day before his nomination.

Kyagulanyi would later show off his injuries to a crowd that gathered around his home in Magere. These guys were less tolerant compared to the Kamwokya crowd that “simple simple” teargas can disperse. They managed to give the Police vehicles facelifts. But it came at cost. Individuals were injured and some were rushed to hospital.

All this was happening while Joseph Kabuleta waved at trees on his way to the Electoral Commission nomination grounds, Nancy Kalembe took another shot at meeting the EC’s requirements, Fred Mwesigye gave a sermon as his nomination speech and John Katumba trended on social media, all of whom were nominated alongside DP’s Norbert Mao

It is still a handful of a day.