At least seven individuals, including the Namutumba District registrar for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), have been arrested in connection with election-related violence and malpractice during the party’s recent primaries to select flag bearers for district chairperson positions.
Police say the arrests followed a series of violent incidents and alleged irregularities that marred the NRM’s internal elections held on 24 July.
Click here to join our WhatsApp Group and Receive Daily News
According to Busoga East Regional Police spokesperson Michael Kafayo, five people were detained in Malongo Sub-county, Mayuge District, after clashes erupted between supporters of rival candidates during vote tallying. The individuals, believed to be supporters of David Zijja—who won with 62,409 votes against opponent Muwaya Omar Ductoorbongo’s 40,128—are accused of attempting to interfere with the electoral process.
“The suspects were detained on allegations of tampering with election results during the LC5 primaries. Their case files are being processed and they will be charged in accordance with electoral laws,” Mr Kafayo told journalists on Friday.
Additional arrests were made in Namayingo and Namutumba districts, where election-related violence reportedly led to the destruction of property, vandalism of vehicles, and physical attacks on candidates.
Among those detained is Namutumba District NRM registrar Richard Mwanja, who, according to district officials, is accused of submitting false information during the parliamentary primaries held on 17 July. The Resident District Commissioner for Namutumba, Fredrick Bangu, said Mwanja allegedly misrepresented vote tallies to declare a candidate—Maganda Emmanuel Katoko—as the party’s flag bearer for Bukono Constituency.
“Mwanja appeared before the NRM Electoral Commission on 21 July and falsely claimed to have tallied results from the field. This led to the wrongful declaration of a candidate,” Mr Bangu said.
The elections in Namutumba involved 629 villages, 111 parishes, and three constituencies, with a total of 2.5 million voters on the NRM register. Due to widespread mistrust and reports of irregularities, vote tallying in the district chairperson race took two days to complete.
In that race, incumbent district chairperson David Mukisa Kalulu retained his position after winning 92,815 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Michael Saire, who received 8,719 votes. The race featured a total of seven candidates.
The NRM has also seen instability within its local electoral leadership in Namutumba. The party recently retired longtime registrar Magobi Bovan, who had served in the position for over 15 years, and appointed two different registrars within a span of two weeks.
Police say investigations into the various incidents are ongoing, and all suspects will be prosecuted under Uganda’s electoral and criminal laws.
Also Read: Amama Mbabazi’s Daughter Wanted Over Unpaid Shs 450m Loan
