ugandan police have arrested 350 people
in a crackdown to call protests
triggered
by the arrest of presidential hopeful
bobby wine those protests entered a
second day following the arrest in the
capital kampala on wednesday now police
accuse
bobby wine of violating anti-coronavirus
measures
by holding mass rallies dozens were
injured and at least 16 people died in
violent protests that erupted in kampala
after the pop star turned politician was
taken away by police tear gas in the
streets of kampala alongside the rocks
and other debris that protesters had
used to set up barricades
riot police made their presence felt
as civilians who were also caught up in
the chaos maintained their innocence
this is what sparked the protests police
seizing bobby wine the musician
turned presidential hopeful on monday
it's the most recent of many times he's
been arrested since he became a
politician
in 2017.
the authorities accused bobby wine of
flouting anti-coronavirus regulations
his supporters say this is simply a
political witch hunt
the police are attacking us bobby wine
is supposed to be campaigning but now
he's in jail again they're just trying
to waste his time
as more forces deploy the unrest is
affecting business in kampala and in
other towns
where they've also been protests these
events add to opposition worries about
political freedom
as the elections approach at least two
presidential candidates have called off
their campaigns
over alleged police brutality against
the opposition
and for more on the situation in uganda
i'm joined by
dw correspondent julius mugambo he is in
the capital kampala
good to see you julius what is the
feeling in the capital today
it is still a tense situation perhaps
not at the magnitude of
what happened uh yesterday the coffee of
nine pm must have given the security
teams
a chance to deploy strategically in the
night and when the residents of kambala
woke up
they found deployment a little bit
unusual from in the places where there
was rioting
in the previous day but just to tell you
obi-wan supporters are still very
frustrated they want the police to
release their mind at all cost
all right and tell us about his arrest
and as we understand and other
opposition candidates have also been
arrested
yes i could what i can tell you is that
there's a lot of frustration mainly on
the opposition side but it is also
important that i tell you that the
incumbent
president jeremy cevini we understand
from local media reports that his
campaigns
are going on smoothly we've seen other
political
other candidates who've suspended their
campaigns
in solidarity with bobby wine they want
the police to
release bobby weiner presented to the
courts of law so as we can speak
bobby wentz campaigns are suspended and
even other some of other presidential
candidates have suspended theirs
but president shawarma said in the
incumbent is continuing with his
campaigns
uninterrupted julius looking at that
footage
we literally watched security office
officers
fire live rounds at protesters is the
response to dissent by ue museveni's
government intensifying
i could say that uh what you saw
happening
what happened to bobby wine a couple of
other cases have happened in the past
just like that
and the opposition has strongly come out
strongly comma to condemn this including
human rights
activist groups they want the government
they want the police to be
seen partisan but the police say that
they are enforcing the law every time
they make these hours they say they are
enforcing the law and we've actually
just received
a statement from the ministry of
information the minister is calling on
the youth not to join those writing not
to join protests
and keep a social distancing yeah julius
we hear a lot about
bobby wyan and you were museveni but
what about other
candidates in the opposition do any of
them have significant support
i would say that they have significance
support but i don't want to make
judgment but bobby wine when you look at
crowds president jeremy slavini and
bobby wine
for some reason they seem to stand out
as their leading candidates
bobby one seems to be the leading
candidate on the opposition side
because when you see when he goes for
his political rally gathers
thousands of people following him others
are equally getting people who are
following them but for now
you could clearly tell that many of them
looking at the pictures judging from the
pictures but like i said in a previous
interview
that uh having uh crowds following you
may not necessarily
lead to votes but if you want to make a
judgment using the pictures yeah bobby
wine is in the league with president
george
when it comes to bringing crowds
together and
and what is at stake uh in this election
julius
i think what is at stake to start with
is the young person's fault
the young voters every candidate wants
the young person's vote because these
are the majority
if you have the young people voting for
you chances are you will go
through so all the manifestos all people
all candidates are trying to convince
the young people
to give them their votes but the
opposition is telling the young people
that you know what you've heard enough
of president jiren's evidence many of
the young people
have never seen another leader and they
think
the time is not to get present cheering
serving out but president museveni has
told young people
that is the money the right vision and
experience to secure their future
but bobby when i told them no let's get
let's get the man out
quickly julius do these young people and
and others in the electorate have faith
in the democratic process being free and
fair
talking about faith that's a very big
question and really really diverse
people who support president jeremy
seven people who supports the ruling
government who will tell you that
they trust the democratic process but
people who supported the opposition
especially supporters of bobby wine they
follow what he subscribes to bogeywine
has already told his people
that he has no confidence in the
democratic process but he has told them
regardless of that
they should wake up in the morning in
january to cast their ballot
that much as they challenge the
democratic process
they should go and vote so the question
of faith falls on way or someone
subscribes
those who subscribe to the opposition
thing right the democratic process is
not free and fair but those supporting
governments say
it is the right thing to do and it's the
upright okay julius mugamba out in
compiler for us thank you
you