Fear gripped residents of Busolwe Town Council in Butaleja district on Thursday as police moved to arrest National Unity Platform strongman, Moses Lyada.
Lyada, a former MP contestant and the leader of opposition outfit- NUP in the district was arrested and charged with inciting violence after intelligence caught wind of his plans to spear head a mass demonstration in the district.
In an earlier audio recording this publication has listened to, Lyada had earlier made his plans to storm the offices of the District Resident Commissioner with a crowd of people known, protesting irregularities in the process if allocating jobs by the district service Commission.
While speaking to the media earlier in the week, Lyada, along with Muyagu Ronie and Kemba Moses, both former MP contestants in Bunyole East and Mr Wire James had put the District Service Commission on the spot for selling jobs to highest bidders who usually people from outside the district, leaving residents at a disadvantage.In an exclusive interview with Watchdog, RDC Hajira Namagogwe admitted knowledge of the planned protest but appealed to ring leaders to pursue peaceful means to resolve their grievances other than demonstration.
” I have heard the audio on social media but I have not been notified officially. Whereas we welcome their concern, we appeal to them to pursue other means other than violence. You don’t need the whole village just to deliver a petition to my office.” Namagogwe told Watchdog on Thurday.
According to reports, Lyada and his group had planned to converge in Busolwe from where they would proceed to deliver their petition to the office of the RDC in Butaleja town.
As crowds started gathering, however, police led by Butaleja District Police Commanser(DPC) ASP Benson Birema raided the area and harvested Mr Lyada at the round about and whisked him to Butaleja Central Police Station.
The defiant NUP leader was charged with inciting violence and released on police bond later in the evening.
We have, however, learnt that the petition was later delivered by Mr Lyada’s other team members to the office of the RDC who pledged to look into the matter with the Diatrict Security Council.
Butaleja has been in the news severally over reports of irregularities in the job recruitment process. Last year, some DSC members were investigated by the office of the IGG for erroneously deploying Pariah Chiefs.
Last week, Daily Monitor reported about a Nurse, Scovia Namataka attached to Busolwe Hospital who went missing after failing to be short listed for a job promotion despite allegedly paying heavy bribes.
