National Unity Platform (NUP) spokesperson, Joel Senyonyi has for the first time gave an elaborate account on why his two legs can no longer support him while walking and how he ended up in crutches.
Senyonyi says he was accompanying his principal the NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi for presidential nominations at Kyambogo University on November 3, 2020, when he met his fate.
He said nominations went on well only to eventually see the mood of security inside the nominations ground change which aroused their inner instincts that something may not be right.
“So, as we were departing, security told the media to stay behind as Kyagulanyi’s car exited the grounds. The moment we drove out, the gate was closed behind us as media vans stayed inside; Then, their choreographed operation began” Senyonyi narrated during “the Capital Gang” a popular radio program on Saturday morning.
“Incidentally, there was an NBS journalist that had sneaked out and was broadcasting the events live but security pounced and pulled out the battery from his camera cutting off the broadcast. A lot of things happened along the way which I think were deliberate. They (Police) threw a tear gas canister at me which hit my hip and exploded leaving me with a huge wound on my right leg and a smaller one on my left leg” he added.
“These things (tear gas canisters) are real explosives; they are a mini grenade!” Senyonyi said adding “The bizarre part, after injuring me, five of them descended on me with batons beating everywhere literary but especially targeting the leg joints”
He said the beating went on with four of his aggressors armed with heavy batons, helmets, shades, no masks or name tags and making it hard to identify them. He however claims he could somehow identify one of them who had a red beret who he pleaded to for mercy prompting him to step aside as the battering went on.
The beating, Senyonyi says continued until the four eventually let go leaving him in the state he is today.
“Thats what explains my situation and of-course the healing process is taking much longer and i have to walk on crutches” Senyonyi said.
Senyonyi who is contesting to represent Nakawa West constituency in parliament said he sustained severe injuries on the right leg to which doctors prescribed a three-week bed rest as the leg heals, an advice he ignored in favor of political campaigns.
Amidst criticism that the NUP mouthpiece is exaggerating the whole issue to gain cheap popularity, Senyonyi says the leg would have healed but he keeps hurting it as he walks around canvassing for votes.
Senyonyi says his fate was a deliberate move to incapacitate him but eventually it has triggered his resolve to catapult to the apex.
“It is tough, extremely tough but I realize as the baganda say; wetukutte wewali ekinyusi” (we are touching the right area). They do these things to weaken our resolve but my resolve is much stronger” he said.