Kampala: This is already the bloodiest general election in Uganda’s history with more than 50 people shot dead last month in protests that broke out after the opposition National Unity Platform candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu’s arrest. The election is scheduled to take place on January 14, 2021. Kyagulanyi’s arrest follows weeks of deadly encounters between his supporters and Ugandan security agencies. Kyagulanyi tweeted: “This is war, not presidential campaigns.” A few hours later, a police car ran over his supporters in an attempt to block the opposition presidential candidate from accessing a campaign rally venue. One supporter was killed and at least four others injured.
At the next campaign stop police fired tear gas and live bullets to disperse his supporters. The injured this time included one of the police guards officially allocated to the candidate, shot in the face with a rubber bullet. At the third rally of the day, police fired live bullets at the candidate’s car as he attempted to drive through a military barricade set up to block him from driving through the centre of Jinja City Centre. One bullet struck the windscreen of Kyagulanyi’s car, missing a fellow MP Francis Zaake, who was in the co-driver’s seat, by a whisker. Kyagulanyi had seen enough. He suspended his campaigns, returned to Kampala and met the Electoral Commission chairperson to demand an intervention.
The violence springs from the manner of campaigning in an election many saw as a foregone conclusion last year. Earlier this year, the Electoral Commission issued guidelines to all candidates barring them from carrying out processions and huge rallies, limiting campaign meetings to 70 people and asking candidates to use social media, radio and televisions to campaign. The EC said this was to contain the spread of the coronavirus during the campaigns. The rule was later relaxed to 200 people.
However, most of the 10 candidates seeking to end President Yoweri Museveni’s 35-year grip on power have tasted the wrath of law enforcement agencies seeking to enforce the rules. They have either been arrested, blocked from accessing hotels, had rallies dispersed by tear gas, blocked from accessing rally venues in some districts or thrown out of radio and television stations.
Opposition parties point out that there was no effort to enforce the rules during the ruling NRM party primaries in October. They argue the rules are meant to handicap, not protect them. Several military and police vehicles follow main opposition candidates, firing tear gas and live bullets to disperse supporters standing by the roadside to wave at them.
Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said that the force is only enforcing Electoral Commission guidelines. However, local ruling NRM party leaders and handlers often mobilise masses to make processions and stand by the roadside to wave at him and his motorcade as it drives by, with the police looking on. The Inter-religious Council of Uganda, some cultural leaders and other opinion leaders last week condemned the violence and asked police to investigate and bring all culprits to book. While the security forces are using CCTV camera footage to identify and arrest rioters, no security officer has been arrested in connection with the killings. The election
