NUP Official Assaulted at Uganda Independence Day Event in Netherlands Amid Protests

In what could turn out to be the most regrettable news of the year, a very high-ranking National Unity Platform (NUP) official in the diaspora was reportedly ganged up and physically assaulted during the 61st Independence commemoration event held in the Netherlands over the weekend.

The event, dubbed the “Independence Day Joint Celebrations Uganda” held at Nelson Mandela Park, Amsterdam featured a football tournament with teams like Uganda Cranes, Netherlands, Uganda Kobs Netherlands, UGABEL, of Belgium, Uganda Cranes, Sweden, Ghana Black Stars, and the Scorpions of Gambia.

Mr Nico Schoonderwoerd, who heads the NUP wing in the European Union, together with other dissatisfied diaspora party members had reportedly stormed the event to protest in what they called “No Independence for Uganda Demonstrations” something that didn’t go well with the organizers.

A protest flyer for the demonstration had messages challenging that priority should be given to fixing roads, schools and hospitals, freedom for Bobi Wine and releasing political prisoners in Uganda before investing in football and parties.

One of the organisers of the event who is also the chairman of the Uganda Community in the Netherlands, Mr Senyonjo Derrick Luzinda then led a group of attackers to physically assault Dr Nico Schoonderwoerd whom he accused of taking recordings at the event.

In a video now making rounds on social media, Dr Nico can be seen being assaulted physically by people he says were the organizers of the community event. In the same video, Mr Senyonjo can clearly be seen pushing Dr Nico as others look on.

According to one Mugalu Jonathan who was available at the time of all these events, Ssenyonjo had rallied a group of people to attack and beat up Mr Schoonderwoerd if he appeared at the said event.

“I am a community member and also one of the organisers of the tournament. At the time of assaulting Dr Nico, I was on the pitch officiating in one of the matches as a linesman. When I saw a certain lady also related to Luzinda starting up the fight against Nico, I ran to protect him,” Mr Mugalu narrates.

“I was aware of the plans to beat him up and that’s why I rushed to save the situation,” he added.

The NUP supporters equally accused the area, Ambassador, Mirjam Black and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of bankrolling the community which has for long hidden in the guise of being non-partisan.

On the attack on him, Dr Nico accused Ambassador Black of stooping so low to deploy “hired goons” to assault him for merely exercising his right to demonstrate.

At the time of filing this story, the accused Ambassador was yet to comment on the accusations against him.