National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Thursday said he received information about a pending attack and kidnap of his children, justifying his reasons to fly his immediate family members out of Uganda.
Since last night social media has been buzzing after a photo and travel details of the Kyadondo East MP’s children at Entebbe International Airport were leaked.
Mr Kyagulanyi in a statement Thursday reiterated that his family has been living in fear for the past three years after he announced he would challenge President Museveni in the polls slated for January 14, 2021.
“That is why therefore, when I received information of pending physical attacks on me, my wife and kidnap of our children, friends in the diaspora reached out to us, offered to host them for a while! That does not mean that my wife or I are any safer by remaining around. But our effort is to ensure they don’t kidnap one of these minors and try to use them to coerce us into subjugation!” Mr Kyagulanyi said.
Mr Kyagulanyi slammed “regime apologists” for questioning the travel of his children as polling date draws closer.
“The regime propagandists should be very ashamed. In a free and democratic country, nobody should live in fear simply because they oppose the government in power. In a free country, a presidential candidate would never have to wear a bullet-proof jacket and helmet in order to go for campaigns! That is the country we are struggling to build. Gen Museveni should even be more ashamed that 35 years later, children have to yet again run away from their country over fears of vengeful attacks!” he added.
At the height of Parliament debate on the Constitution amendment in 2017, Mr Kyagulanyi and Makindye West MP, Mr Allan Ssewanyana said they were targeted for opposing the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s plan to scrap the presidential age limit.
Mr Kyagulanyi said an explosive was hurled at his son, Solomon Sekayi’s bed room window in attempt to scare him away from the debate.
However, government spokesperson, Mr Ofwono Opondo at the time denied the government was behind the blasts.
“The regime has made it a deliberate plot to attack me, and when they don’t, attack those who are close to me so as to demoralise me! There is nothing Museveni is not ready to do in order to stay in power against the will of Ugandans!” Mr Kyagulanyi said.
Mr Kyagulanyi’s musical rival and sworn supporter of president Museveni, Mr Moses Ssali alias Bebe Cool was one of the first people to share the family’s travel details on social media.
“I feel bad for Eddie Mutwe and Nubian Li’s children as in who will protect them while their parents are in jail. Anyway safe travels travellers,” he posted.
However, Bebe Cool’s tweet attracted backlash as some social media users condemned him for sharing the minors’ travel information.
Bebe Cool’s tweet was later deleted by Twitter for violating its rules.
A section of social media users also slammed the immigration staff at Entebbe Airport for their “unprofessional conduct” by releasing the minors’ travel details.
Several people close to Mr Kyagulanyi have in the past few weeks been arrested, injured or killed on the campaign trail.
His statement comes days after more than 120 of his supporters, including his singing partner, Ali Bukeni alias Nubian Li and head of his private security, Eddy Ssebufu aka Eddie Mutwe, were arrested in Kalangala and charged in court. They are still in custody.(The Monitor)