Women activists under their umbrella body, Women’s Protest Working Group have vowed to defy the inspector general of police Martin Okoth Ochola and go ahead with their protest march through the city this Saturday, June 30 dubbed: One Million Women’s March.

Police, in a letter dated June 26, and addressed to the activists said, the intended demonstration to raise awareness and express displeasure at the recent spate of killings and kidnap of women will not be allowed.

Police said the reasons raised for the demonstration, have already been “adequately addressed publicly” – first on June 11, 2018 by the ministers of Internal Affairs, Security, Defence and Veteran Affairs and then later by President Yoweri Museveni in his address to parliament. This was in reference to the live broadcast, when the ministers were joined by the security chiefs including IGP Ochola and chief of defence forces (CDF) Gen David Muhoozi to address the nation on the security situation in the country.

Police says on June 20, President Museveni again addressed the security situation in the country when he addressed members of parliament. The president “elaborately gave the strategies for sustainable sustainable security, and both for the short and long run run,” reads the police letter to the activists.

However Patricia Twasiima, a lawyer for Women’s Protest Working Group says they will go ahead with the demonstration, because according to her, they fulfilled all the obligations of the Public Order Management Act (POMA) by informing police about their demonstration. She said they can’t allow police to misuse their powers to deny them their constitutional right to demonstrate and what they expect is police protection come Saturday, June 30.

Twasiima also said Ochola’s letter is a slap in the face to the Ugandans who were hopeful and were expecting a the new IGP to head a police force that respects and protects human rights.

“We thought the new IGP would work to protect the rights of Ugandan citizens. It is very disappointing and gross misuse of his powers deny us the right to demonstrate. For us we shall go ahead with our demonstration,” she said.

On the fact that police said issues of security that the activists are trying to raise awareness for were addressed by the security ministers and chiefs, Twasiima said that was not very thoughtful from the IGP.

“The idea that a speech from the ministers or president can solve a security situation where 43 women have been murdered is really not thoughtful. No single case has been resolved. Just yesterday, two children were kidnapped after the live broadcasts from the ministers and the president. Did the speeches prevent that from happening?” she asked.

Dr Stella Nyanzi, one of the activists behind the planned women’s march wrote on twitter “I am done kissing a**e of IGP @OkothOchola1. @WomensProtestUG begged him for a date to petition him about providing female police officers for the #WomensMarchUg. Because #WomenLivesMatterUg, one million protesters will appeal to @JejeOdong to reverse OMO’s senseless rejection.”

Last year, up to 23 women in Entebbe and Wakiso were murdered in almost similar fashion between May 3 and September 10. Although the killings significantly reduced, there has been an increase in the criminality especially within the city.