Abayita Ababiri LC1 Poll Halted Amidst Violence and Allegations

Voting for the Local Council I (LC1) chairperson in Abayita Ababiri Village, Wakiso District, was abruptly halted by the Electoral Commission due to significant violence. The repeat election, ordered after the initial July 30 poll was nullified, devolved into chaos as supporters of National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Fred Mulumba Bunkedeko clashed with those of the incumbent, Abbey Ssebowa.

Returning Officer Sam Agaba Rutemba made the decision to stop the exercise after NRM supporters allegedly breached a barrier into the voting area, sparking confrontations. Residents reported that individuals not registered to vote in the village were brought into queues by NRM supporters, escalating the tension.

During the skirmishes, an Electoral Commission official sustained injuries. Allegations also surfaced that security personnel, possibly linked to the UPDF’s Special Forces Command, assaulted Mulumba’s polling agent, Shamirah Najjemba. Incumbent Ssebowa supported the commission’s decision, stating the violence began after an NRM agent opened a pathway, allowing already issued ballot holders to re-enter the polling zone.

Franco Kajura Bwakya, the NRM flag bearer for the town council, expressed disappointment, asserting his party had won the first election and expected to win the repeat. He acknowledged minor “hiccups” that led to the protest and postponement. The Electoral Commission had not released a formal statement or announced a new date for the election by the time of this report.

Source: Nile Post