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By Joseph Omollo
Police in Tororo have arrested two village leaders of the Forum for Democratic Change party for allegedly holding an illegal political meeting.
Those arrested were Simon Peter Ochwo, the chairperson of Magoro Ward in Merikit Town Council, and Oita Vincent, the chairperson of Akadot Parish in Akadot Sub County, all in Tororo district.
The duo, under case number SD 11/24/07/2023, were summoned to the Tuba Police Post, where they were detained for 6 hours before being released on charges of threatening violence.
John Ojiambo, the in charge of Tuba Police Post confirmed the arrest but declined to divulge details of the arrest.
Speaking to this publication after their release, the suspects said their meeting had nothing to do with subversive activities, and that it was all mobilising young people to engage in productive ventures.
“Am not surprised by my arrest because it’s not the first time that we are being harassed by police, especially after the election of Mr. Geoffrey Ekanya as the area Member of Parliament for Tororo County North,” said Ochwo.
He suspects that their arrest is just a continuation of the battle between Ekanya and his opponents from the ruling National Resistance Movement party, who lost in the 2021 Parliamentary polls.
According to Oita the other suspect, their meeting was an expression of freedom of speech.
“Maybe the only fault we had was conducting the meeting while in FDC party attire; others were merely expressing our right to freedom of speech and expressing our concerns about the injustices,” he said.
However, Tororo County North Member of Parliament Geofrey Ekanya confirmed that it’s not the first time that his supporters are being harassed by the police.
“I have got information that even in the ongoing implementation of the Parish Development Model program, some of the people identifying with the Forum for Democratic Change party are facing hardships that I rate as unfair because poverty doesn’t know party or tribe,” remarked Ekanya.
