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| SUPPORTERS: Part of the cheering crowd which lined up on Entebbe Road to welcome former Kampala mayor Sebaggala yesterday (Photo by James Akena). |
ENTEBBE â Business came to a standstill yesterday as Al Hajji Nasser Sebaggala took control of the road to Entebbe International Airport. The former Kampala mayor arrived at Entebbe shortly after 9:00 a.m. He was received by family members, Kampala mayor John Sebaana Kizito, MPs Michael Mabikke, Ken Lukyamuzi, Latif Sebaggala, among others.
Military Police, police and Local Defence personnel stopped the huge crowd that turned up to welcome Sebaggala at Abayita Ababiri. In brief remarks at the airport, Sebaggala said he had heard that the Military Police deployed, but that supporters should not worry.
Military Police was deployed because of the arrival of foreign heads of state.
The real journey started at Kitooro, about 3km from the airport, where supporters lined the road to catch a glimpse of the man who went to study so that he could become president. Sebaggala shot out of his open roof Pajero and flashed a V sign to ululations, chanting and songs in his praise.
Vehicles and supporters carried large posters of Sebaggala in a graduation gown with the words âCongratulationsâ. The convoy swelled and got slower with each metre as boda-boda cyclists waving tree branches, taxis, and supporters, mostly the youth, led the convoy. Young women cheered and wriggled their waists. The older ones laughed excitedly as they waved and danced.
School children clapped excitedly. âTukwagala nnyo Haji, seya waffe (We love you Haji our man),â they shouted as Sebaggala waved back. âMwamuwaana nnyo, mwamuwaana dda. Twagala tulabe ani asinga obuka (You praised him (Museveni) a long time . we want to see who is tougher),â they chanted.
Sebaggala looked calm, clad in a navy blue suit, sky blue shirt with a checkered navy blue tie and sunglasses.
At Mpala, about 8km from Entebbe, the Presidential Guard Brigade, Police and LDUs stopped the convoy for about 45 minutes to make way for President Yoweri Museveni who was travelling to Entebbe reportedly to receive visiting heads of state. This was after they failed to limit the convoy and mass of supporters. An arch was erected at Stella Najjanankumbi.
By midday, anxious people who had started lining Entebbe Road by 9.30 am, were still waiting at Kawuku, Kajjansi, Zzana and Kibuye, where the road was decorated with palms and banana stems. It would be hours before the convoy would get to the city of which he was and wants to be mayor. Sebaggala was expected to address supporters at his home at Kisaasi. | 
