The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Rubanda, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A man is nursing machete wounds at Kabale regional referral hospital he sustained in an attack by a group of youths for allegedly supporting Jogo Kenneth Biryabarema, the incumbent Rubanda LC 5 chairperson.
25-year-old Sharp Ngabirano, a resident of Ikamiro village in Bigungiro parish in Nyamweru sub county, in Rubanda district was reportedly attacked by four youths at Rwakaruma trading center in Bigungiro Parish on his way home around 7 pm on Tuesday evening.
Ngabirano told URN on his sickbed at Kabale regional referral hospital on Wednesday morning that he found the group chanting campaign songs for Henry Arigangira Musasizi, the incumbent Rubanda County East MP who is currently feuding with Biryabarema for the National Resistance Movement-NRM party ticket.
According to Ngabirano, the youth stopped him and tasked him to explain why he supports Biryabarema as opposed to Musasizi. He said the youth started assaulting him before one of them he identified as Belive Owamani Kadiba, a resident of Ikamiro village pulled a machete from his jacket and hacked him on the head and thumb before fleeing.
Efforts by our reporter to speak to Kadiba were futile since his known mobile phone number was switched off. Tai Ramadhan, the Rubanda District Police Commander said he had not yet received anything about the incident. This is the third time a voter is being attacked for supporting Biryabarema.
In August, Deus Bonane, the Hamurara village local council one chairperson in Bubaare sub-county stabbed his defense secretary Moses Tumusiime for allegedly supporting Biryabarema. He was arrested for assault and released by court on bail.
In the same month, Ignatius Twinamatsiko, a businessman from Hakadongo trading center and Bright Agaba, a resident of Nyarushanje village Hamurwa sub county were attacked by Joseph Awor, a police officer attached to Counter-Terrorism Police Department and bodyguard to Musasizi for skipping his campaign rally in Hakadongo trading center in Hamurwa sub county.
About the NRM Flag
Biryabarema is on loggerheads with Musasizi over the disputed Rubanda East County National Resistance Movement (NRM) party flag. On Monday this week, the NRM’s elections dispute tribunal for the fourth time postponed its ruling on the disputed primary election results.
On September 29th, the party cancelled the primary election results to conduct a fresh tally of results from 16 disputed polling stations. Biryabarema petitioned the party commission challenging the declaration of Musasizi as the winner of the primaries with 23,330 votes against his 22,412 votes.
Biryabarema and his supporters accused Musasizi of conniving with the Rubanda district NRM registrar Monday Aggrey, Gaudioza Kabondo, an official from the party’s National Electoral Commission and Dezi Christmas the district party administrator to rig his votes.
Monday is also faulted for deliberately tallying the votes wrongly. He also argued that the registrars allowed Musasizi to sneak some declaration forms inside the tally center for consideration.
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