In a letter dated 22 October, issued by the party's Directorate of Information, Publicity, and Public Relations, the NRM clarified that Timbitwire is not employed by the party.
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has dismissed reports that Mercy Timbitwire Bashisha holds the position of Public Relations Officer (PRO) within the party.
Mercy Timbitwire was arraigned before the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court
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"Our attention has been drawn to stories published by the Daily Monitor, Nile Post, Uganda Radio Network, and other media outlets, alleging that Ms Mercy Timbitwire Bashisha, a woman recently filmed assaulting a traffic police officer, is an NRM Public Relations Officer at the NRM Secretariat," the statement reads.
"We would like to clarify that Ms Bashisha is neither a PRO nor a staff member of the NRM Secretariat. In fact, she has never been employed by the Secretariat and is unknown to us," the statement continues.
The party described the circulating stories as "false, misleading, and intended to tarnish the image of the NRM." It added, "We do not condone the reckless acts by Ms Bashisha, including the assault of a law enforcement officer while on duty, and we are glad the law is taking its due course."
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The NRM urged the public to disregard the false reports and called on the media to verify information before publication. The party's legal team is working with the police to investigate the motive behind this impersonation and may file a formal complaint.
Mercy Timbitwire went viral over the weekend after being filmed slapping a traffic police officer. She was remanded to Luzira Prison on Monday, following her charge of assault.
