Museveni directs IGP, DPP to prosecute NRM officials over forgeries in primaries

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed the Inspector General of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions to arrest and prosecute all NRM officials that took part in forgeries of NRM party primary results in four districts.

The districts where there was contention include; Isingiro, Kiruhura, Kazo, and Sembabule.

The National Resistance Movement has since the September 4th been holding elections to identify party flag bearers at different levels. However, elections have been marred by voter bribery, vote rigging and electoral violence that has seen people lose lives.

In a letter addressed to the chairperson NRM Electoral Commission Dr. Tanga Odoi, the president says that after several complaints about votes rigging in these districts, he launched a secret anti-theft campaign using security personnel from both the NRM headquarters and the local personnel who came up with a report.

The president says that investigations were carried out in Bukanga, Isingiro North and South, Nyabushozi and Kazo constituencies. He says there was criminality in many of parts of these areas and additional confusion of relatives being part, noting that the NRM party has no time for such nonsense.

“I have never sent any of these relatives to contest in those areas or anywhere nor did they even consult me,” reads part of the letter.

In Bukanga, Hon. Steven Kangwangye, the incumbent was tussling it out against Dr. Moses Mpeirwe Kashaija, Arafat Kamoga and Humble Abel Tumusiime.

The Isingiro district NRM district registrar Ronah Kukundakwe on September 5th declared Hon. Kangwagye the winner with 4,720 votes followed by Dr. Mpeirwe with 2,395 votes. Others Arafat Kamoga had 17 votes and Humble Abel Tumusiime 28 votes.

According to Museveni’s letter, Bukanga has 137 villages and 26 of them people did not vote because of confusion caused by cheaters and also in 111 villages where people voted, the results were altered in some villages thus giving new results that overturned Hon. Kangwangye’s victory.

The president says that his audit team confirms that Dr. Moses Mpeirwe got 10,339 votes while Hon. Steven Kangwagye managed 8203 votes only.

Also Museveni says that the results got from 200 villages of Nyabushozi, results from 116 polling stations were not contentious and give Wilson Kajwengye a lead with 10,292 votes followed by Fred Mwesigye with 8,968 votes and Christopher Bakashaba with 3,421 votes, a total of 22,681 votes cast.

Now the president has directed Dr. Odoi to get signed affidavits from the NRM chairpersons, LCI’s and others legally binding documents confirming these facts and organize elections in the 26 villages of Bukanga that did not vote and other areas with contentions like Nyabushozi, Kazo, Isingiro South and North to conclude the matter of contention in the constituencies.

He now wants the NRM secretariat to get new registrars and work with District Police Commanders, Resident District Commissioners to carry out audit in all the areas of dispute and expose the frauds.

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