Residents of Luweero experienced a tough situation on Women’s Day when police fired teargas to disperse those who had gathered to get medical and sanitary items.
The wife of the opposition leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Barbie Kyagulanyi, yesterday headed to Luweero along with area members of parliament and other women leaders in NUP to deliver maternity beds, sewing machines, Mama kits, and pads to women.
However, police which was notified as is required by law raided the place, confiscated the equipment, arrested and beat up several people.
“Our celebrations did not go as planned, blame it on the RDC and the police who disrupted us. The Police woke up on their shameless side of the bed.
They cordoned off Ndejje Nawabango field, seized the truck in which the sewing machines were loaded and took it to the police station, tear-gassed the teen mothers and their family members who had converged, arrested and whisked some away to an unknown place, violently broke the maternity delivery beds that we had planned to offer to the hospital, and confiscated re-usable sanitary pads and scholastic materials,” Barbie said.
She added, “We condemn the demoralizing behavior of our police and assure the people of Uganda that we will stand firm on our promise to continue to practice our calling which is to empower teen mothers regardless of all the challenges such as this.”