PHOTO: Old man in NRM yellow tshirt but displaying NUP’s Nakweede poster. Who will has he voted of the two?
■ MPs Aloysius Mukasa, Tebandeke & other NUP bosses arrested last night
■ Kayunga looks like a war zone, heavy deployments at Isimba Dam
■ Marines deployed on water bodies in Kayunga
■ Nakweede & Muwonge’s camps plan mega parties
BY MARY NAKASI
NEWS EDITOR
KAYUNGA
TODAY 16th December 2021 is a D-day for Kayunga and all eyes are on this district.
People have gone to the polls amidst total security deployments, to elect their district LCV chairperson in a hotly contested election between the ruling NRM Government and opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).
In fact political analysts say, this is indeed an election between President Museveni and opposition leader Robert Ssentamu Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine and the winner of the battle will be known today evening.
If ruling NRM’s candidate Andrew Muwonge is declared the elected chairman, then Bobi Wine will be a loser and vice-vasar. If NUP’s candidate Harriet Nakweede Kafeero takes the day, the loser will be none other than Mr. Museveni.
So the real race is between President Museveni and Hon. Kyagulanyi, not between NUP’s Nakweede and NRM’s Muwonge although, they are the candidates who have appeared on the ballot papers. Each of the two camps has higher expectations to win today’s race.
The two, Museveni and Kyagulanyi last entered into a political ring on January 14th 2021 during Presidential elections. Museveni emerged the winner although Kyagulanyi and his supporters rejected the results saying Justice Simon Mugyenyi Byabakama’s Electoral Comission had rigged for the ruling party.
Kayunga by-election has therefore given Bobi Wine and Museveni an opportunity to wresstle again and today’s results if the election is free and fair, will definitely show who can command public and it responds positively.
Museveni on Tuesday combed Kayunga for Andrew Muwonge. He told Kayunga people that as a president, he can work with every one be an NRM or not but that he needs a chairman who he can easily talk to about the issues affecting the district and for Kayunga, it will be Andrew Muwonge.
For Kyagulanyi, he wasn’t allowed to move even an inch out side his Magere residence to go and canvass votes for his candidate Harriet Nakweede. Army men deployed around his home and many leaders like Hon. Aloysius Mukasa were blocked from accessing his residence.
Bobi’s footsoldiers like Mityana Municipality MP Hon. Francis Zaake and others who managed to enter Kayunga on Tuesday to attend Nakweede’s final rally were seriously beaten. Also Nakweede, her camp said, wasnt spared.
Bobi Wine posted on his Facebook shortly after this incident that, “The goons are not even ashamed to lay their filthy hands on to a woman. They have also brutalised our candidate Hon. Harriet Nakweede Kafeero! The clock is ticking. They are on borrowed time.”
DEPLOYMENTS THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT
Throughout last night, security personels armed to the teeth were deployed in all opposition strongholds which includes; Baale, Kayonza, Kitimba, Kayunga subcounty and Kayunga town council, Kangulumira, Nazigo and Nazigo town council as well.
EC had listed them as hotspots saying because Kayunga is characterised by violence especially during such activities, these places required high deployments.
Security has deployed so much at all vital installations like Isimba Dam, electoral commission offices and at the district tally centre to avoid the eventualities in today’s elections.
Officers from security organs which includes Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police Force (UPF), Prisons, Internal Security Organisations (ISO), External Security Organisations (ESO), VIPPU, Crime intelligence and others were since yesterday evening seen taking positions to make sure no group cause dýviolence and disruptions to today’s activity in Kayunga.
Patrols cars and motorcycles with army and police officers were seen today morning escorting election materials to scare them.
Police has provided polling constables and we were told there is a reaction force put in place for eventualities, fire and rescue services.
MPS ALOYSIUS MUKASA, TEBANDEKE & NUP LEADERS ARRESTED
There were reports of arrest made last night in Kayunga and among those who were reportedly arrested was Lubaga South MP Aloysius Mukasa, Kira Municipality Mayor Julius Mutebi, Lubaga Coucilor Ronald Ssemaganda and many other NUP leaders from different parts of the country who candidate Nakweede had appointed as her agents.
ABOUT KAYUNGA LCV DISTRICT CHIRPERSON’S BY-ELECTION
It comes a few months after the sudden death of newly elected Chairman Owek. Muhammad Ffeffekka Sserubogo. The former NUP top man was found hanging on a tree!
Six candidates were nominated by electoral commission and among these, three come from political parties while the three are independents.
In a press conference held yesterday at the district headquarters and attended by EC Chairman Justice Byabakama, the District Returning officer Ms Hanifer Kyobutungi said Kayunga has 407 villages and cells. There are 338 polling stations and for today’s activity, polling will take place in all the 338 polling stations.
“I would like to inform everyone that as electoral commission we are ready for the election activity. We have been handling different activities at different times. We did the updates, the display, we nominated candidates, we had the harmonisation program and campaigns commenced on the 2nd December 2021.” Said Kyobutungi.
She revealed that they have been carrying out voter education and rechead places like Baale subcounty and Galiraaya.
Baale Subcounty has three different swamps, it has bridges and it is far off from the headquarters and then Galiraaya also has large swamps to cross and also some of the parishes specifically Kitimba Parish is accessed by the boat.
EC has hired the boats to help ferry the materials across and back and for the places that are far from each other, they allocated transport for them.
There are places that are known for late delivery of results. Places like Baale and Galiraaya because of the long distances, Kayonza there are always fights, Busaana because it’s widely scattered and heavily populated.
Because of Covid-19 SOPs, only those invited will be allowed to access the disrict tally centre.
DPC SP Felix Mujuzi yesterday said, as Uganda Police force, in today’s activity they shall be guided by the constitution of The Republic of Uganda, The Police Act, The Penal code, Act of the 1990 Yen Convention on the basic principles guiding law enforcement.
“We shall abide by the general principle of using non lethal means. On the use of force and particularly use of firearms, the forces shall be human rights compliant guided by the following principles; Legality – force used must be authorised by the law, proportionality – Force used must be proportional to the attacking or offending force.” Said DPC Mujuzi warning officers in the field today that, “One must be prepared to account for the force used. Non discrimination, meaning force used must not be selective in respect of the group.”
As News Editor Media, we wish Kayunga people a free, fair and peaceful election.
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