"Muzanira's Win a Shame to Govt, Security Deployment Can't Threaten People's Will" - Musumba

Following the declaration of FDC’s Betty Muzanira as the newly elected Rukungiri district Woman Member of Parliament, the party Vice Chairperson for Eastern region, Hon Salaam Musumba has described government’s decision to deploy heavy security in the area as a “shame” and abuse of authority entrusted in its officials to serve the country.

On Thursday May 31, the people of Rukungiri took to the polls in a by-election to choose their Woman legislator in Parliament following the annulment of the election of NRM’s Winfred Masiko by court in March, however the heavy security presence witnessed throughout the day in the area worried many.

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Elections observers had in fact described the situation as “a sea of security personnel”.

According to Musumba, the deployment went overboard and only intended to undermine democracy in the country.

Also read: Polling Opens in Rukungiri, Observers Report Very Heavy Security

“It is so disgusting that the government is abusing the tool at its disposal to undermine democracy and working against the people’s will,” Musumba told SoftPower News in an interview Friday morning

“It is a big shame to this country that there is no man worth their name in this regime. You can not deploy such machinery on ordinary souls, it is not fair”.

Asked on the determination displayed by the FDC supporters in the area, Musumba uplauded the electorate saying they fought a good battle.

“I want to congratulate the people of Rukungiri for fighting for their own liberation and their voice, because what was at stake was neither the military hardware nor the village general. It was the voice of everybody as enshrined in the Constitution that we are all equal under the law,” Musumba added.

Also read: Rukungiri: FDC’s Betty Muzanira Wins Woman MP Seat

The District Electoral Commission announced Muzanira’s win at 5:13am on Friday morning with 50,611 votes, winning the incumbent and strongest rival Ms Winfred Matsiko of the NRM who garnered 46,379 votes.