President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has broken his silence on the controversial Kawempe North by-election, warning of dire consequences for those found culpable in what he described as “electoral and criminal misconduct.”
In a statement released to the public, President Museveni addressed Ugandans, especially the Bazzukulu (grandchildren) saying the government has launched investigations into a series of reported irregularities that marred the by-election.
Among the allegations under scrutiny are ballot-stuffing, intimidation of voters, destruction of ballot boxes, and illegal campaigning at polling stations.
“The heavy deployment of security forces may have stopped mass violence but it could not stop these micro crimes that should have been managed by the election officials,” Museveni said, referencing incidents in polling zones such as Kazo-Angola and Mbogo Mosque.
The by-election, meant to fill the parliamentary seat for Kawempe North, quickly turned chaotic, with rival camps accusing each other of fraud and intimidation.
While security forces maintained a heavy presence in the area, their methods have come under criticism, especially from journalists and civil society groups who claim they were subjected to harassment and excessive force.
Museveni acknowledged the concerns about the security forces’ conduct but redirected the blame towards opposition groups, accusing them of inciting disorder.
“Why should the UPDF and JATT be deployed in crowd management?” Museveni asked.
“Uganda is like an island of peace in the region. It is because of the UPDF. They have enough work fighting the ADF, cattle rustlers in Karamoja, and al-Shabaab in Somalia. Why should they be diverted from their core work to manage political indiscipline at home?”
In a sharp rebuke of the opposition, the President linked the electoral violence in Kawempe North to previous unrest, including the 2020 November riots and the Kabaka protests of 2009, both of which resulted in loss of life and property.
“Who organized the panga groups in Masaka? Who destroyed ballot boxes in 50 out of 197 polling stations in Kawempe North? These are the criminal mistakes of the Opposition,” he charged.
However, the President did not spare his own party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM), from criticism.
He accused certain NRM members of failing to engage with the grassroots population and allowing disorganization to fester.
“There are also organizational mistakes on the NRM side, especially not working collectively and reaching the Wanainchi. Investigations will show us who destroyed the ballot boxes at Kazo-Angola and Mbogo Centre and why,” he said.
Museveni reiterated his longstanding opposition to electoral fraud and emphasized the need for biometric voter verification to ensure clean and fair elections.
“Nobody else who is not bio-metrically verified will vote. One person, one vote. Somebody was arrested with 18 ballot papers,” he revealed.
He warned both opposition and NRM supporters against engaging in or tolerating voter fraud.
“The NRM people must not involve themselves in cheating by saying that the opposition is doing it, they must also do it. That is how Uganda ended up unstable since 1961,” he said, pointing to the history of election malpractice in the country.
The President concluded by urging all Ugandans to respect the democratic process and allow the will of the people to prevail.
“Respect the Ugandans’ choices. Those who intimidate NRM supporters must stop and apologize to those they intimidate.”
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