Police intervene at MP Amere’s vendors’ meeting

4 July 2025, 6:59 pm

By Otim Moses

In a shocking turn of events, police used tear gas to disperse a meeting between Kitgum Municipality MP Hon. Onekalit Denis Amere and market vendors earlier today. The meeting aimed to empower vendors with a donation of 70 million Ugandan shillings to over 30 sectors of the main market.

Police arrived at the scene, ordered the event to be closed, and arrested Hon. Charles Odera, a councillor organising the event, alongside MP Amere, who was directing proceedings. Both were detained and later released without charge or having given statements.

The FDC office has condemned the police’s actions, describing them as sabotage of MP Amere’s development initiatives. The team claims that NRM members were allowed to hold a similar event at the main market without disruption, raising questions about the police’s motives.

MP Amere is still recovering from the morning’s scuffle and is seeking clarification on the reasons behind the police intervention. According to Simon Ochan, Amere’s Chief Strategic Campaign Officer, the incident is a blow to the project, which was launched on 29 June 2025 and aimed to support all satellite markets in the municipality with donations ranging from 500,000 UGX to 1,000,000 UGX to boost their businesses. However, it will not deter Amere’s efforts to continue people-centred development.

At the time of filing this story, the police had not issued any official statement regarding the incident, which has sparked controversy. Many await the police’s explanation. Will they provide a justification for their actions, or will this incident escalate into a larger political controversy?