By Mulengera Reporters
A group of NRM election officials from Luuka district have been summoned to appear at Kira regional Police CID headquarters on Tuesday 10am to answer charges relating to commission of election offences during the recently concluded NRM party primaries.
The inquiry into their conduct was instigated by a petition that was filed by one of the candidates for NRM primaries who wanted to become the flag bearer for Luuka North constituency. This is none other than Dr. David Balondemu, a dully nominated candidate who says was removed from the NRM register on that very voting day 17th July.
In his 3-page petition, Balondemu enumerated a range of irregularities which he said constituted electoral offences which are criminally punishable under Uganda’s laws. He also asserted that the electoral fraud that manifested in Luuka amounted to betraying and contradicting the reasons why Gen Museveni and others fought a bush war in 1981-1986.
Firstly, he claimed disenfranchisement of voters and gave himself as an example. That he was a duly registered voter which was the basis upon which he was nominated to vie for the flag and even issued with a voter location slip only to be deleted from the party register at the last minute. In his complaint to the Director CID in Kampala, Balondemu asserted that his deletion greatly demoralized his supporters and thereby enabling one of his opponents to derive undue advantage.
He was a candidate for Luuka North MP Seat currently represented by Luke Inyensiko Kyobe who in 2021 beat four others to become the area MP. Kyobe polled 16,159 votes and was the NRM flag bearer against John Ngobi Bagoole, an independent, who got 10,782; Peter Wambi’s 1,620 (of NUP) and Nathan Ntambazi’s 432 votes. FDC’s Henry Muyomba only managed 102.
In his complaint to the CID chief, at whose instigation a comprehensive inquiry was conducted into what went wrong in Luuka North, Balondemu listed some of the sub counties where electoral officials committed deliberate electoral offences to his detriment. These include Bukova town council, Ikumbye sub county, Naigombya sub county and Busada sub county. As a victim of all this criminality and disenfranchisement, Balondemu asserts he had a duty to lead the fight against electoral malpractices inside his NRM party.
He also claimed voter bribery and pinned John Bagoole for being the perpetrator of the same. He links him to vehicle number UBK 750E which was allegedly used and involved in bribing of voters in broad day light in places like Idhome where he personally gave out Shs300,000; Ntayigirwa where Mr. Bagoole allegedly personally paid out Shs500,000 and at Naigobya township where Shs300,000 was paid out. That all this was filmed and captured on video which is available. The complainant adds that when the broad day bribery came to his attention, the area Police OC David Nuwamanya got alarmed and reported the same to his superior the DPC who advised him to mind his business and just ignore.
Balondemu also talks about the voters’ register being inflated for polling centers like Buyunze A where Bagoole was recorded to have polled 465 votes as Kyobe trailed with 98. The other places were alleged inflation of voters’ register manifested include Bukandi where Kyobe got 60 votes.
That at Nabitama polling center A & B, no voting took place at all because of the chaos that played out. Yet polling officials went on to cook up figures which they used to create additional advantage for Bagoole. Balondemu claims to have polled 2,205 in his stronghold of Bukova town council yet the election officials only allocated him 1,305 votes. This is what was reflected on the results that were subsequently declared.
The complainant also implored the Director CID to investigate the sudden change in the lifestyle of NRM registrar Nelson Kibuli and that of Mr. Yeko Mutebe, the NRM Admin for Luuka district. That these have become rich all of a sudden and all this has to do with their conduct during the NRM primaries in Luuka. That Mutebe has quickly rehabilitated his homes in Buwenge and business lodges in Kasambira town council.
This news website spoke to Busoga North Police Publicist ASP Micheal Kasadha who confirmed that indeed investigations had been conducted and concluded by the regional police CIDs and a lot has been unearthed. Kasadha revealed that summons had been issued out to several such perpetrators, mainly NRM election officials in Luuka district, who have been ordered to report themselves to Busoga North Police head offices in Kamuli town on Tuesday without fail.
They are expected to hand over themselves to Police investigators on Tuesday at 10am. They could end up being arrested like their counterparts from other districts have ended up. Besides Yeko and Kibuli, the other suspected election offenders who have been summoned include Dan Waisswa, the NRM Sub County Registrar for Bulongo Sub County and Pauline Magoba who is the registrar for Bukomo Sub County.
The official who served as presiding officer for Nabitama A polling center in Bulongo Sub County has also equally been summoned. Luuka residents are eagerly waiting hoping to see remedial action being taken against those who committed election offences as has already been done to their counterparts in other districts of Busoga. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
