By Aggrey Baba
What began as a day of party democracy turned into a battleground across parts of Uganda, as the ruling NRM held its parliamentary primaries yesterday under the heavy shadow of violence, criminal infiltration, and chaotic scenes in several districts.
Instead of peaceful voting and celebration of popular mandate, the electuins were marred by gunfire, arrests, and allegations of hired criminals, illegal deployment of soldiers, and vote-rigging.
In some areas, people died, while in others, buses full of suspected political mercenaries were impounded before reaching election centres.
Security agencies were forced to swing into action in some areas like Kamuli, Kamwenge, among others, arresting over 180 suspects and reportedly, seizing grenades, pangas, and other crude weapons, painting a grim picture of the state of internal elections in ruling party.
In Kamuli District, one of the flashpoints, a man believed to be a hardcore criminal and political mobiliser, Sowedi Egumbye, was gunned down near Buzaaya County MP Martin Muzaale’s residence. According to the Police, he was part of a gang that violently raided the home in a convoy of vehicles.
Egumbye was shot as the crowd defied orders to disperse, with officers firing in the air to stop further confrontation.
Busoga North Police spokesperson Michael Kasadha described him as “troublesome,” noting he had over 50 criminal cases against him and had previously been arrested in Mukono in connection to a UGX 90 million fake dollar deal.
In Luuka and Buhweju districts, four soldiers were reportedly arrested for deploying themselves without official orders, a serious breach of both electoral and military procedure, according to Police operations director AIGP Frank Mwesigwa.
“These soldiers were not on official duty. Their presence was unlawful and raises critical questions,” Mwesigwa said.
In other parts of the country, similar scenes played out, with police arresting 68 suspects in Busoga alone. In Lira, bouncers in a drone were intercepted, while Kamwenge saw the arrest of over 90 suspected “hired goons” traveling in buses allegedly from downtown Kampala’s Kisenyi area.
The buses were reportedly stopped at police checkpoints following intelligence that the passengers were being paid to disrupt polling stations.
In Nakaseke, the violence turned bloody when Dan Komuzaire, a supporter of Phillip Ndamira, was reportedly shot during a morning clash with rival supporters of Enock Nyangole. Ndamira, who is contesting the Nakaseke North seat, is the son of retired Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde.
And in Amuru District’s Elegu Town Council, voters at Loriko West polling station staged protests against what they called a “ghost register,” accusing electoral officials of rushing the registration process and excluding eligible party members.
By 11am, no voting had taken place at the station as police intervened to negotiate with both locals and party agents.
Security chiefs had anticipated trouble and police boss (IGP) Abas Byakagaba deployed nine directors across strategic zones to oversee operations, backed by high-tech surveillance systems feeding live footage to headquarters in Naguru, according to Mwesigwa.
In Kampala, security remained tight but relatively calm. However, in Nsambya, a gang of youths, dressed in yellow t-shirts, attempted to rob phones and bags from voters before being dispersed by police.
Elsewhere in Iganga, Tuesday night clashes between supporters of Woman MP Sauda Alibawo and her rival Mariam Seif led to injuries and property destruction. Police arrested assistant RDC Ronald Mwase and three others for allegedly fueling the violence.
Nationwide, the scale of disruption raised serious concerns about how the NRM conducts its internal elections, and whether criminal networks, rogue security elements, and illegal mobilisations have infiltrated what should otherwise be peaceful political processes.
With over 18 million registered voters participating in primaries across 72,000 villages, the NRM faces a critical question of “if it can’t ensure safe and credible internal elections, how can it guarantee stability in the general polls come 2026?”
