Africa-Press – Uganda. The escalating violence shadowing the campaign trail reached a tragic peak last evening as one individual was confirmed dead following chaotic scenes at the end of a National Unity Platform (NUP) rally in Iganga.
The death, the first confirmed fatality this campaign season, has intensified the bitter public exchange between the NUP and the Uganda Police Force over who is responsible for the recurring scenes of mayhem at opposition gatherings.
While NUP rallies have become synonymous with conflict, the severity of the Iganga incident has drawn sharp condemnation from all sides.
The Uganda Police Force maintains that the violence is incited by the opposition party’s supporters. The Police Community Liaison Officer for Kampala Metropolitan South, who defended the use of measures like pepper spray, accused NUP supporters of “beating police officers and vandalising their operational vehicles to prompt sympathy.”
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP Don Muhwezi) of the Police Force asserted that the violence is a deliberate strategy by the NUP, particularly in areas where the party enjoys strong support.
SSP DON MUHWEZI: “What Triggered the situation? Politicians who politicise everything… It’s their strategy as NUP, they have been yarning for this for some good time. Mbu akalulu tekaliimu bbugumu (they say the election lacks heat).”
Muhwezi denied that police action is the sole solution, stating that the force “reacts to what they do” and that the opposition “provoke us.” He lamented the damage to officers, vehicles, and the country’s image.
The National Unity Platform swiftly rejected the police narrative, questioning the logic of provoking violence if it genuinely benefits the opposition. NUP Lawyer George Musisi described the continuous clashes as a deliberate attempt to intimidate and derail their support base.
GEORGE MUSISI: “The semblance of peace was retrain but they could not sustain [it]. Police views self as an armed wing of the NRM… Police is beating us to derail and intimidate people from supporting and coming to rallies. The intention of Police violence is calculated. It’s to intimidate the NUP.”
Musisi accused the Police of making contradictory statements, changing charges against arrested individuals, and engaging in partisan action to justify budget requests. He challenged the police’s narrative by asking why similar mayhem is not directed at ruling party rallies, such as a recent procession involving President Museveni in Kiruhura.
“If indeed we are the ones benefitting from this, why don’t they do the same to NRM?”
Analyst: Violence Was ‘Expected’
Political analyst Yusuf Sserunkuuma weighed in, stating that while the violent scenes do not favor any party, they were an “expected” development, considering the historical norm of elections in Uganda.
Sserunkuuma questioned the apparent double standard in the enforcement of law and order.
YUSUF SSERUNKUUMA: “The violence was only a matter of time… [I] question why the supporters in the NRM camp seen in processions are not treated to the mayhem that faces NUP.”
He added that the recurring violence points to a deeper issue: a lack of faith in the electoral process from all sides.
The tragic loss of life in Iganga underscores the volatile nature of the current campaign environment, as accusations of incitement, political motivation, and excessive force continue to fly between the main opposition party and the state security apparatus
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
