Ghetto Ambassadors denied access to State House

By Gideon Peter Ssebulime

17^th March 2022

Security has blocked members of the Kampala Ghetto Ambassador’s Association from accessing State House, Entebbe.

The group members, who claimed to belong to the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM party, stormed Entebbe Statehouse Thursday morning demanding to see the president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.

The group of over eighty members mainly youths bypassed the party secretariate in Kampala and stormed the Heavily guarded Statehouse. They first convened at the junction leading to Entebbe Municipal Council offices and Entebbe Golf Club before marching to the main entrance of State House.

However, the security officers at the entrance couldn’t allow the group in since they didn’t have an appointment with President Museveni. Police officers later escorted the youths who were donning yellow NRM branded t-shirts to the Children’s Park, a kilometre away to wait for a formal response from State House and President Museveni.

Among them were Boda boda riders who claim to have campaigned for Museveni last year, they were promised Shillings 2.5 billion during a meeting at his residence in Rwakitura last year but nothing has happened.  The youths declined to reveal their identities or be recorded citing security reasons.

Close to six groups have been stopped at the main entrance of the Statehouse or along the Kampala-Entebbe highway since January 2021 on their way to meet the president. These are mainly individuals who contested in the 2021 elections and lost while others like boda boda riders are demanding payment.

The candidates demanded that their facilitation ranging from Shillings 500,000 to Shillings 3 million be paid to them in advance before the elections that were slated for January 25th, 2021. Hajji Njuki Mbabali, the Entebbe Deputy Resident District Commissioner has in the past warned individuals against storming State House without formal invitations.