NRM wins Kamuli by-election

Kamuli.

NRM candidate Rehema Watongola was last evening re-elected to Parliament as Kamuli Municipality lawmaker after beating the FDC candidate, Ms Salaamu Musumba in a by-election marred by widespread violence, chaos and confusion.
Ms Watongola garnered 8,726 votes while her closest challenger, Ms Musumba got 5,778 votes in a by-election she called “a war” as NRM spokesperson, Mr Rogers Mulindwa, talked of “democracy at its best.” Ms Watongola, thanked “Allah” and described her victory as “the true voice of the people”.
Ms Watongola’s win was similar to that in 2016 general elections which court later nullified on account that she lacked the requisite academic papers. She later got the papers and was cleared by her party and EC to contest again.
Other candidates in the race were Prossy Naikoba (169 votes), Samuel Walujo (63), and Michael Kiboome (103 votes). The trio was independent.
Reacting to the news of her second loss to the NRM candidate, Ms Musumba said: “This has not been an election but a war between civilian and the coercive government.” She added: “I will talk to myself and decide the next course of action after the Easter holiday.”
Chairperson of Electoral Commission (EC) Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, however, talked of “a smooth by-election” that defied prophets of doom.
“There have been fears that the exercise will not be successful but thanks to God that good has prevail over evil...The exercise went on smoothly and to the expectation of voters of Kamuli people,” Justice Byabakama said.
Although EC boss praised “the calmness” in Kamuli by-election, by press time, a least 10 people were believed to be in police custody on various charges, including intimidation and bribery. According to the police the arrests were made hours before 4pm when most polling stations stopped voting as required by the law.
Police spokesperson for Busoga North Michael Kasadha, told Daily Monitor that the arrest of the 10 suspects was professionally executed without bias to any of the contestants.
“They were either intimidating or bribing people to vote for their candidates,” he said.
Voting which in most areas started at about 7 am—the time stipulated under the law— was delayed in some other places because of the lack of the five voters required to be present before the polling kit is opened.
FDC supporters accused security organs deployed in the area of protecting NRM supporters who they said were involved in voter bribery. Several people, including a police officer were injured and admitted to hospital.
Allegations of mobilisers of respective candidates and local leaders moving from home to home distributing money and other items to voters were rife. Daily Monitor could not independently verify the same but at one point an agent of one of the candidates caught allegedly bribing voters was beaten by angry residents.
Addressing journalists shortly after casting her vote, Ms Musumba accused police and the EC of being biased against her.
In the afternoon, Ms Musumba turned up at Kamuli Central Police Station to help clear her name and that of her supporters said to have assaulted a police officer.
Ms Musumba was not arrested although three people—two men and a woman—who were in her car were detained. When her vehicle was searched police a number of items, including bows and arrows and other crude weapons, were recovered.
At the police station, Ms Musumba maintained the weapons were for self defence and would only be used as per “President Museveni’s directive”.