The Uganda Police Force (UPF) says Bugiri Municipality is safe and ready ahead of the process to conduct the Municipal Council and Member of Parliament elections scheduled for July 17 and 19 respectively.
According to Bugiri District Police Commander, SP Ssebuyungo Jeff, the campaigns are going on peacefully with no confrontations between supporters of the competing parties. He has however said that a few “goons” from outside the constituency tried to disrupt the process.
“The campaigns are generally peaceful and no case of confrontation has been reported so far, save for a few cases where goons from Kampala tried to cause fracas at some rallies,” SP Ssebuyungo told SoftPower News on Thursday.
On the pictures circulated on social media of a man allegeded to have been part of Mr Basalirwa’s camp who is said to have been clobbered and stabbed by supporters from the rival camps, Ssebuyongo said the incident was not related to politics.
“That incident happened, but it has nothing to do with politics. It was a family issue and the relatives testified to that. The political actors who jumped on it only wanted political capital,” he added.
Bugiri municipality is one of the new administration units created recently and five candidates are vying MP seat slated for July 19.
They are John Francis Oketcho (NRM), Eunice Namatende (FDC), Asuman Basalirwa (JEEMA), former Bugiri district LCV Chairman, Hajji Siraji Lyavala Samanya and Joel Wamono, both Independents.
Tight competition is between NRM’s Oketcho Francis and the two opposition candidates candidates Mr Basalirwa and Ms Namatende.
In May, efforts to have a joint opposition candidate hit a snag with each party (FDC and JEEMA) pointing fingers at each other for frustrating the move.