PHOTO: Hundreds of NRM supporters ready to receive Party Chairman Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at Kawempe Mbogo Mosque when he went there to campaign for Party Candidate Faridah Nambi Kigongo on Tuesday this week. Ballot Paper boxes from this area were destroyed. Museveni wants to know who destroyed them and why
NEWS EDITOR MEDIA
THE Head of State, who doubles as Chairman of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has written to Ugandans and Bazzukulu in particular on the outcome of the Kawempe North by-election.
In a four paged document, Mr. Museveni want answers on who destroyed ballot paper boxes in Kazo-Angola and Mbogo Centre, NRM stronghold saying, such violence intended to destroy NRM candidate Faridah Nambi Kigongo votes.
“Investigation will show us who destroyed the ballot paper boxes at Kazo-Angola, Mbogo centre, etc and why. Could it be because of the big support the NRM has there because of the anti-poverty programmes in the area?” Mr. Museveni, want answers.
PHOTO: Some NUP supporters who crossed to NRM a day Museveni campaigned for Nambi in Kawempe
Meanwhile in the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) which Museveni chaired on Friday last week, resolved to reject EC declared results which gave a win to NUP candidate Luyimbazi Elias Nalukoola, finishing NRM’s Faridah Nambi in second position. CEC resolved among other resolutions, to instruct its lawyers to immediately challenge the results of the Kawempe North by-elections in courts of law.
This leading investigative news website reached out to NRM lawyers, confirming that they already have the instructions.
President Museveni has also defended deployment of JATT and UPDF in the Kawempe By-election saying, “It is because of the indiscipline of some opposition groups.” Museveni however admits, “There are also organisational mistakes on the NRM side, especially not working collectively and reaching the Wanainch. CEC is addressing those mistakes. We had a meeting on Friday, last week.”
HERE IS MUSEVENI’S FULL STATEMENT
“Fellow Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu, greetings.It is good that we are getting the rains after a very hot season. Stop damaging the environment, please, wherever you are.
In this piece, I am writing to inform you that an electoral and criminal investigation has started in the Kawempe North by-election.The following allegations have come up; ballot paper stuffing, results alternation, destroying ballot boxes in Kazo-Angola, Mbogo Mosque zone, etc, because, apparently, some people did not want those votes to be counted, campaigning at the polling stations, intimidation, violence, etc.
The heavy deployment of security forces may have stopped mass violence but it could not stop these micro crimes that should have been managed by the election officials.
PHOTO: Museveni campaigning in Kawempe
Some people really miscalculates. To think that you can commit such crimes against the law and the people when the NRM is in charge of the country is the highest form of shallowness. We shall hold everybody responsible accountable.
Those who intimidate NRM supporters must stop and apologise to those you intimidate. Those of the language, ‘ye mmwe abatusibyeko NRM’, must stop. Respect Ugandans’ choices.
Ballot stuffing has been going on since 1961. That is how Uganda ended up being unstable. Leaders do not concentrate on solving people’s problems because they know they can cheat and be in power whether the people support them or not. This will stop.That is why we are insisting only on bio-metric verification. No body else who is not bio-metrically verified will vote. I hope all the Ugandans who want peace, will support this. It must be one person, one vote. Some body was arrested with 18 ballot papers.
The NRM people must not involve themselves in ballot cheating by saying that the opposition is doing it, they must also do it. Work to crush that disenfranchisement of the Ugandan people. That is why the NRM went to the bush.
I have heard people talking about harsh methods by security elements, against the journalists. We are studying this.
However, the original question should be, “Why should the UPDF and JATT have to be deployed in crowd management?” Uganda is like an island of peace in the Region. Why? It is because of the UPDF. They have enough work fighting ADF, the Cattle-rustlers in Karamoja, Kony in Central African Republic (CAR), al-Shabab in Somalia, etc.There, they shoot to kill. That is why night dance goers can dance the whole night in peace.
Why then, do they get diverted to deal with crowds? It is because of the indiscipline of some opposition groups.Who organised the Kabaka riots of September 10th-12th, 2009? Who organised the 2020 riots of November 18th -20th where people were killed, NRM women were undressed, Policemen were attacked? Where was the army in all that? I deployed the Commandos on the 20th of November 2020 and they crushed the insurrection. Who organised the panga groups in Masaka? Who destroyed ballot boxes of 50 polling stations out of 197 polling stations in Kawempe North? You have been inviting the NRM to attend to you, we shall exactly do that.
The mistakes the soldiers may do could be on account of preparing for those non-lethal roles when they are diverted from their work of fighting on account of indiscipline of some actors. These are the criminal mistakes of the Opposition.
However, there are also organisational mistakes on the NRM side, especially not working collectively and reaching the Wanainch.
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