Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has shared a statement on his FaceBook page recounting his ordeal on Thursday during the talk show on NBS TV.
Lukwago has narrated his full account of what happened when the show was prematurely ended.
“Midway the debate, hell broke loose when the Government Spokesperson (Ofwono Opondo), who is a regular Panelist (Frontliner) on the show, ran berserk and started throwing tantrums.
Out of the blue, he sprung up, charged at me, and threatened to evict me from the studios. He pushed his hand into the pocket and around his waist, in a manner that suggested he wanted to draw a pistol at me, “reads part of the statement that the Kampala Lord Mayor posted on his Facebook page.
According to Lukwago, he dared Ofwono Opondo to shoot at him.
“He instead pounced on my neck and attempted to strangle me. I did not fight back but instead struggled to wriggle out of his grip.
He then punched me in the chest and grabbed both collars of my jacket while huffing and puffing like a cobra,” says Lukwago.
He further reveals that the Frontline moderator, Charles Mwangushya, and panelist Winnie Kiiza moved in to restrain Opondo from beating him.
“But the now wild Opondo would not relent as he continued to maul me while battering and kicking me in the stomach,” Lukwago says.
“I chose not to engage in a fist fight. I instead concentrated on shielding my face with both palms. It was at this moment that another panelist, the Hon. Chris Baryomunsi, Minister for ICT and National Guidance, who had all along been witnessing the melodrama, joined the duo to prevail over a rampaging Opondo,” he adds.
Lukwago, who has opened up a case at Kira Road Police Station claims that even after they were separated, Ofwono Opondo continued to threaten how he was going to finish him off.
“He made frantic calls to people I did not understand, requesting “reinforcement.”
The DPC, Kira Road Police Station, Ssebuyungo, together with the Commander Operations, Aden Muzawula made arrangements with Hon. Baryomunsi to escort me back home,” he states.
Lukwago, however, says that NBS is yet to avail him of the CCTV footage of the incident.
“My efforts are yet to yield positive results,” he says.
Nonetheless, he has vowed to take legal action against Opondo.
“I will stop at nothing in the search of justice. In addition to the aforesaid criminal proceedings, civil action will also be pursued in courts of law in an effort to deal with impunity in our country,” he says.