2000 security personnel deployed as NRM votes in Sembabule

Sembabule, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | A force of at least 2,000 personnel is in Sembabule district to man security in the National Resistance Movement-NRM party primary elections that in Mawogola North and West Constituencies. 

The security personnel comprised of police and army have been placed in the nine sub-counties where residual primary elections are being held to choose party candidates for the 2021 Parliamentary race.

Sembabule Resident District Commissioner Nickson Niwagaba says that they had deployed at least 200 police officers in each of the nine sub-counties to prevent eventualities similar to the ones that led to the cancellation of the polls on September 4, when violence erupted in many parts of the district.

Kabuye adds that the Deputy Inspector General of Police Major General Sabiiti Muzeeyi has also changed the security command structures of the area, by deploying a district Police Commander in each of the nine sub-counties. He says that the officers have express instructions to arrest all persons that may attempt to interfere with the elections included nonresidents that may attempt to participate in elections. 

Meanwhile, entrance in Sembabule district has also been restricted. The security teams are searching for all vehicles and demanding National Identification Cards from all occupants. Non-residents of the area are denied access. 

Early this morning, Police arrested the Nakasenyi Sub County chairperson Betty Twine alongside seven other people for allegedly participating in voter bribery. The suspects were picked from a house in Nakasenyi trading centre where they were allegedly meeting voters and bribing them to vote for Hajjat Anifa Kawooya Bangirana; one of the contestants in Mowogola West constituency against the incumbent MP Joseph Ssekabiito.  

However, the NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi who is also in the area to directly coordinate the elections says they have asked the returning officers to gathers evidence about attempts of malpractice and other irregularities which they will use to reprimand the culprits. According to Tanga Odoi, they have arranged to have voters at all polling stations line up at the same time at Midday to avoid possibilities of multiple voting. 

The race for NRM flag in Mawogola North constituency is between Shartsi Musherure Kuteesa, Godfrey Aine Kaguta and Salim Kisekka, and in Mawogola West Anifa Kawooya Bangirana, the incumbent Sembabule Woman MP is competing with Joseph Ssekabiito Kitayimbwa.   

For the Sembabule Woman MP whose election was also affected in nine sub-counties, the race is between Mary Begumisa, Jovanice Twongyeirwe and Pheobe Arinaitwe Rugundu.

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