Among those arrested is Daily Monitor Journalist, Michael Kakumirizi who had traveled to spend a night at Kayunga but was picked upon arrival, Julius Mutebi, the Mayor Kira Municipality, and Nakwede’s campaign manager, Ben Kyobe.
Three National Unity
Platform-NUP together with several
others people deployed to protect the votes of Harriet Nakwede, the NUP candidate for
the Kayunga LC 5 Chairperson by-election are in the custody of security.
They
are Aloysius Mukasa, the Lubaga South MP, Charles Tebandeke, Bbaale County and their Busujju county counterpart, Lukyamuzi Kalwanga.
The trio was reportedly
arrested on Wednesday by unidentified security personal while transporting
polling agents to various polling stations within the district.
Among
those arrested is Daily Monitor Journalist, Michael Kakumirizi
who had traveled to spend a night at Kayunga but was picked upon arrival, Julius Mutebi, the Mayor Kira Municipality, and Nakwede’s campaign
manager, Ben Kyobe.
Alex Kimuli, one of the NUP coordinators in Kayunga, says that the whereabouts of the legislators are
not known up to now. "This is intended to disorganize
our camp, NRM wants to
use such inconveniences to create room for vote-rigging,” Kimuli told our reporter. Ben Moses Ojambo,
the NUP Party Chairperson,
says that they are yet to establish the exact number of those missing.
According to Ojambo, they have been receiving distressing calls
reporting illegal arrests of main coordinators since last night. "We are going to police to follow up and
establish the reasons behind their arrests. It is surprising that none of the police commandants is picking our calls despite
the fact that they gave out their numbers to people to report inconveniences," Ojambo said.
Our reporter tried to
call the numbers of some of the missing people but there was no response despite the fact that the calls could go through. Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa Regional Police Spokesperson couldn’t also be reached for comment
as she could neither pick nor return calls from our reporter. The Kayunga District Police Commander, Felix Mugizi could neither confirm nor deny the
arrests.
"I am currently busy in the field contact the PRO for a briefing," Mugizi said. During a
stakeholders meeting on Wednesday evening,
the Electoral Commission Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, said they will not allow voter
protection groups to move in the district since they are not provided for anywhere in the electoral laws and guidelines.
Today, voters in Kayunga are casting their votes in a by-election to
replace the late Muhammad
Ffeffeka Sserubogo, whose lifeless body
was found dangling on a tree a month after occupying the office. The candidates include
Harriet Nakwede (NUP), Andrew Muwonge (NRM), Anthony Waddimba (DP), and Boniface Bandikubi, Jamir Kamoga, and Majid
Nyanzi, all independents.
