Several candidates who contested for the recent Local Council 1 (LC 1) Chairpersons, for Lugonjo – Nakiwogo Village, in Division B, Entebbe Municipality, in Wakiso district have disputed the results of the polls, which was marred by security personnel firing live ammunition and teargas during the counting of votes at Entebbe Comprehensive Secondary school polling station.
While addressing media on Monday, the candidates who were accompanied by residents cited a number of issues which has led them to petition the Electoral commission, seeking for an official declaration of results or organise a re-election to determine the actual winner of the seat.
The National Unity Platform’s (NUP) Mr Kitakule Moses Christopher, who conceded defeat to Democratic Party’s (DP) Salongo Twaha Kikomeko, revealed that the election process was moving on smoothly on Tuesday last week until the alleged interference by security operatives.
“The soldiers were supposed to keep law and order but they instead ruined the election, I was the first one to be counted, I had four people, they counted my colleague Magezi who also got four votes, then they went to Twaha’s line and he had 403 people when the situation was still normal” he said.
Mr Kikomeko noted that they were surprised when armed joint security operatives allegedly started caning people and firing live shots and teargas in the air, when the turn to count NRM’s Paul Zikuliza, the area’s long reigning chairperson reached.
“During that time, residents scampered for their safety and we are sorry to our fellow residents who got injured during the beatings and those still nursing wounds. The violence wasn’t brought by candidates but rather by the army who we thought were there to protect us during the election” he said.
He further noted that days earlier during briefing by the electoral commission officials, they were informed that in case chaos broke out after some candidates have been counted, the one with most votes at the time would be announced the winner.
“So in this exercise, Twaha was the winner of the election” he said.
Mr Denis Magezi, who run as an independent said a number of residents were denied entry into the voting area by security personnel.
“There were a number of chaotic scenes during the election, our message to the Electoral commission and all other stakeholders is to declare the rightful winner of the election, Twaha and he is announced as this village’s chairperson” he said.
Mr Twaha Kikomeko, who has since petitioned the Electoral Commission, expressed dismay at the actions of the security personnel, whom he said purposely started the violence to mar the elections.
“People were calm and eager to vote out a man who has spent 35 years as the chairperson, the electoral commission promised to send us police officers to protect us, however out of nowhere soldiers from different units took over the voting area and started controlling it, which left us wondering when the army started controlling elections” he said.
Mr Kikomeko said they hope the EC, will look into a number of issues they raised to enable a rerun or announcing of the true winner if the election.
“They refused to read all the voters registers, the elections started late, the commission didn’t hold elections for the village committee yet currently we hear that there is commission in place, all of us as competitors are aware of our poll results, but what did Zikuliza score in the election” he said.
Mr Kikomeko further urged the commission to intervene in the matter, since it’s set to create divisions amongst the residents, who said that Zikuliza shifted his home from Lugonjo –Nakiwogo and is now a resident of Bukandekande – Kitala, in Katabi Town Council.
“We ask the Electoral commission to carry out it’s mandate to ensure that our residents get justice, since the village decided, Zikuliza, a resident of Bukandekande cannot be our chairperson” he said.
Ms Roma Jane, a resident expressed dismay at the Election Day occurrences and urged President Museveni to intervene in the matter to ensure smooth service delivery in the village.
“President Museveni said we vote who we want, but we are dissatisfied, security officials, how can you deploy the whole army and police to brutalise us in the election of a village chairperson, what reason do you really have” she said.
She added, “We have a lot of pain, the people we vote for aren’t given to us, but rather it’s thieves, and land grabbers that are put in office at the village, we are tired of such”.
By the time of this publication, 360 News Ug, couldn’t independently verify the allegations made against Zikuliza’s residence or security personnel’s actions.
While addressing media following the highly anticipated polls, on Thursday the electoral Commission chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama revealed that they had already received numerous election petitions arising from the LCI polls and would handle them in accordance with the law.
He however did not disclose the number of complaints received and further noted that the commission had also received reports suggesting that some election officials may have colluded with individuals to manipulate the outcome of the elections.
Byabakama revealed that the allegations will be investigated as part of efforts to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
