Several aspiring candidates affiliated with opposition political parties accuse Kiberu of orchestrating violence and intimidation to frustrate their nomination by the Electoral Commission.
George Kiberu, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Chairperson for Nyendo-Mukungwe Division in Masaka City, is under fire for allegedly interfering with the ongoing nomination process for youth and older persons’ council and committee elections.
Several aspiring candidates affiliated with opposition political parties accuse Kiberu of orchestrating violence and intimidation to frustrate their nomination by the Electoral Commission. The Commission opened nominations on June 2 for village Special Interest Group (SIG) Committees, which include representatives for older persons, youth, and persons with disabilities, in preparation for the upcoming general elections.
However, opposition-leaning candidates in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division claim that Kiberu has been using threats and hired agents to derail their participation. They allege that nomination forms have been forcibly confiscated and destroyed, and some candidates have been physically harassed.
Ronald Lule Kasirye, the Democratic Front (DF) coordinator for Matanga and Kibisi wards, accused NRM agents, acting on Kiberu’s orders, of intimidating their identified candidates.
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Kasirye said some forms were torn apart by gangs of youth who had surrounded the Electoral Commission offices in Mukungwe ward. Betty Nanziri and Peter Katalaga, both contesting for the position of chairperson for the Older Persons Committee in Kibisi and Matanga wards, respectively, also claim their nomination documents and voters’ registers were snatched by unknown youth shortly after leaving the Electoral Commission offices.
Katalaga accused Kiberu of deploying agents to patrol villages and threaten opposition supporters, discouraging them from contesting in the Special Interest Groups elections. He appealed to the Electoral Commission to deploy security personnel at nomination centres to guarantee the safety of candidates and their materials.
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Mathias Mpuuga Nsamba, the Member of Parliament for Nyendo-Mukungwe Division and DF Coordinator, confirmed that his office has formally petitioned the Electoral Commission regarding the alleged irregularities. He called for immediate intervention to ensure free and fair SIG nominations.
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When contacted, George Kiberu denied the allegations, stating that he lacks the authority to disrupt a national electoral exercise. He insisted that NRM supporters had merely visited nomination centres to request voters’ registers in preparation for the upcoming elections.
Apollo Muchunguzi, the Electoral Commission’s Regional Coordinator for Greater Masaka, Mpigi, and Mubende, acknowledged the complaints and said his office will seek reports from field officers to determine the next course of action.
