Africa-Press – Uganda. Joint campaigns for the Butaleja District Woman MP seat were violently disrupted on Saturday when supporters of rival candidates Agatha Hamba Muloki and Sarah Annet Logose turned on each other at a National Resistance Movement (NRM) rally in Busolwe town.
The chaos unfolded at the Busolwe S.S. playground, one of the scheduled stops on the district-wide joint campaign trail organized by the NRM.
What began as spirited support for competing candidates quickly descended into physical altercations, prompting police to fire teargas and rubber bullets to break up the melee and restore order.
Several people were left distressed, and the event temporarily came to a standstill.
Tensions had been brewing since earlier in the day when Agatha Muloki, while addressing a rally in Buhabeba, accused Logose of undermining her standing within the influential Buhinghondo clan by “stealing her love.”
The vague but suggestive remark was interpreted as a dig at Logose’s marital history and triggered outrage among Logose’s supporters.
When the campaign caravan moved to Busolwe, tempers boiled over.
Other Woman MP aspirants, including Aida Nehole, Hadija Nanyonga, and Sovereign Hasahya, used the moment to call for calm and condemned the violence.
Speaking to supporters, they alleged that the feud between Agatha and Logose was driven more by a romantic rivalry than politics, though none provided specifics.
Agatha maintained her accusations during her speech at Busolwe, publicly accusing Logose of “stealing her love” within the Buhinghondo clan.
Logose declined to be drawn into the fracas, instead choosing to speak on her campaign priorities.
The clash highlights the growing intensity of a Woman MP race that has been increasingly marked by personal attacks, clan-based loyalties, and public scrutiny over candidates’ marital choices.
Logose has frequently faced criticism for marrying outside Butaleja, with rivals claiming she is out of touch with local traditions.
Others have attacked candidates for being unmarried or having spouses from other districts.
The violence was not limited to the Woman MP contest. Earlier in the day, an altercation broke out between supporters of Bunyole West MP candidates James Waluswaka and Geoffrey Mutiwa.
A man identified as Amisi, a driver based in Busolwe, was reportedly injured in the scuffle. Waluswaka accused Mutiwa’s supporters of initiating the violence, a claim Mutiwa dismissed as political theatre.
NRM’s Butaleja District Chairperson, Moses Pabire, condemned the incidents and warned candidates against importing bouncers to campaign events.
He praised the aspirants for funding the joint rallies themselves in the absence of support from the NRM secretariat but urged discipline moving forward.
“These joint campaigns have succeeded in Butaleja because of the candidates’ cooperation,” said Pabire.
“But we will not tolerate hooliganism. Candidates are warned against ferrying bouncers to campaign venues or to the tally center.”
He assured residents that security would be heightened for Sunday’s final rally in Bunyole East, scheduled at the Butaleja Booma Grounds. He also warned that only accredited personnel would be allowed at the tallying center on July 17.
The campaign season in Butaleja has been marked by both vibrant debate and bitter rivalries. Incumbent MP James Waluswaka has come under fire for allegedly shielding cattle theft suspects, while Michael Higenyi Bore has faced criticism over corruption allegations and verbal abuse during past events.
In contrast, candidates like Florence Andiru Nebanda and Fagayo-Fagayo have won praise for staying above personal attacks and running issues-based campaigns.
The final round of joint rallies wraps up Sunday in Bunyole East, capping weeks of heated political activity.
Voters head to the polls on Thursday, July 17, for the Woman MP and parliamentary elections.
The district LCV chairperson will be elected a week later, on July 24.
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