Museveni Orders Probe into Film-like Bukedea LCV By-election

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed the State House Anti-Corruption Unit head, Brig Gen Henry Isoke, to investigate cases of malpractices and chaos in the recently concluded Bukedea LCV elections.

On June 14, Bukedea District went into polls for the LCV chairperson by-election and the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, Mary Akol, was declared the winner of the race.

She secured victory with 79,692 votes amidst claims of intimidation and violence.

Lokwiisk Tychicus Ebukalim came second with 4,942 votes while the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate, Sam Oita Odeke, finished last with 2,343 votes.

According to the results released by the Returning Officer, Joel Mugyenyi Mugerwa, 87,870 people cast their votes out of the 100, 294 registered voters in the district. Out of the counted ballots, 894 were deemed invalid, and 161 were classified as spoilt.

However, Museveni said that he got some disturbing information about the same by-election “where our NRM candidate won with 91% and the voter – turn up was 87%”.

Museveni, who is also the NRM Chairman, says he was happy for the party having performed so well. However, he is dismayed with the new information he is getting.

The President says he received information indicating that government officials on the night of the nomination, invaded the house of one Omagor, confiscated his academic papers and stole Shs163m from him so that he could not be nominated the following morning.

The Electoral Commission (EC) had to extend the nomination days when Omogar appealed, however, he was allegedly attacked at the gate of the Electoral Commission when he went for nomination.

“Come election morning, Government officials invaded the polling stations and voted on behalf of the voters. This sounds like a film,” the president noted in a June 26 letter to Brig Gen Isoke.

“However, I want to be sure that Uganda does not go back to the crime of 1980, with Muwanga elections that forced us to go to the bush,” he stated.

He ordered Brig Gen Isoke to investigate the claims and, if any criminality was committed, he (Isoke) should take action and report back.

The president revealed that such actions are not only electoral offences but also criminal. “I am, therefore, directing you to handle the criminals.”