The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There were running battles between security and warring supporters of the ruling National Resistance Movement-NRM and National Unity Platform-NUP parties during village youth council elections in Kifumbira A and Kifumbira B in Kamwokya on Tuesday afternoon.
Today’s chaos was a continuation of the tensions that started on Monday during the village youth council elections at Hormisdallen school and Kifumbira A, which prompted the presiding officers to halt the polls.
Alex Mugisa, a voter at Hormisdallen school polling centre in Kifumbira B, says the contest between the NRM candidate Philip Olobo and his NUP rival, Edward Mujeza ended in a tire with each candidate polling 55 votes.
He says both camps rejected the poll results leading to chaos which affected elections at Kifumbira B where the voter’s’ register was stolen.
As a result, the presiding officers organised fresh polls on Tuesday morning amidst heavy military and police deployment.
However, the NUP supporters accused the NRM camp of using security to bar their voters from accessing the polling station.
The situation sparked chaos prompting police to use teargas and sound bombs to disperse the angry NUP supporters.
As the situation escalated, military police officers and Local Defense Units reinforced the Field Force Unit team and restored calm at Hormisdallen school polling centre which allowed the polls to continue.
NRM’s Philip Olobo gardened 67 votes against 64 votes managed by his rival Edward Mujeza. Shortly after being declared elected, Olobo wondered why youths are seeing the election as a do or die affair.
He promised to work towards uniting ghetto youth given the fact that they all face same challenges regardless of their political affiliation.
After accepting defeat at Hormisdallen school polling centre, the NUP supporters turned their focus on Kifumbira A village polls.
However, the security officer tried to block them and the running battles resumed. The polls were still ongoing amidst tight security by the time of publishing this story.
The youth elections nationwide have been characterized by violence and chaos prompting police to step in.
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