Women Strip Naked After Police Stopped Rescheduled Women’s Day Celebration

Chaos erupted in Soroti City in eastern Uganda after police on Friday blocked a belated Women’s Day celebration forcing some attendees to strip naked.

The Soroti sports field was the intended location for the event, which was planned by the women representatives for Soroti city and district, Joan Alobo and Anna Adeke Ebaju, respectively.

The two MPs are associated with the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, one of Uganda's Opposition parties whose gatherings have frequently been targeted by security personnel who claim the organisers lack the proper permits to hold public gatherings.

Cecilia Atim Ogwal, a Dokolo Woman MP, had been invited as the main guest.

The celebrations for International Women's Day typically take place on March 8.

The district local governments, however, always postpone their celebrations and reschedule them later at a suitable time when the resources permit.

The women MPs set April 14 as the date for their celebrations in Soroti City.

Security personnel under the direction of Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Peter Pex Paak, however, prevented the celebrations from taking place and engaged in ongoing combat with participants and organizers, claiming that the event had not been approved by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

Some of the women who were supposed to attend the event protested by stripping in front of the security officers.

“We cannot believe this. How could you stop us when we are gathering for a lawful cause and to celebrate the nature and the efforts of women, mothers that gave birth to a man and have contributed significantly towards the development of this country!” one of the women shouted.

“There’s no man without a woman. You should respect us as your mothers and open the way for our happiness.”

Alobo said that the police blocked them because they subscribe to opposition parties.

“It’s on record, the RCC vowed that he would never allow opposition leaders to organise public ceremonies in Soroti city and for this particular celebration he wants the speaker of Parliament to grace the occasion because she gives them dollars,"  Alobo said.

Oscar Greg Ageca, the police spokesperson in the region said that the function was illegal and that they had deployed to enforce law and order.

“There’s nothing wrong with converging to celebrate Women’s Day but you must meet the legal requirements,” Ageca said.

He said the organisers did not seek police permission to hold the event.