The first day of Uganda’s elections is on February 18th. They vote for president. There are other voting days for mayors,
parliament, etc.
We are following the U.S. Embassy’s safety recommendations. The church is in downtown Kampala and close
to a potential riot flashpoint. So I call
ahead to make sure it’s safe before going in.
President Museveni is 71 years-old and has been in power
since 1986. He’s running for office again.
The frontrunner against him is Kizza Besigye. Since some Ugandans think President Museveni
stole the previous election from Besigye, there is potential for demonstrations
and riots.
Yesterday Besigye, running again for president, was
arrested by police. A small riot erupted,
and police shot tear gas. We missionaries sent Facebook and text messages to each other warning of the unrest
But Besigye’s police detention was brief, and he soon went
off to another political rally. Friends
tell me Besigye actually got himself arrested so he could “play the victim” and
garner more votes.
Not much is certain during this presidential election, and it can become even more turbulent. Please join us in praying for
peaceful Ugandan elections.
John Eastham
Kampala, Uganda
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