The Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babalanda, has called for “calm and patience” over the remanded Bukedea Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Wilberforce William Tukei.

In the wake of Tukei’s arrest, arraignment, and remand, a section of Bukedea residents have expressed outrage and discontent while calling upon Babalanda to take action.

“It is difficult to say what the consequences will be until the court is done with this case,” Babalanda said in a phone interview with New Vision on July 25.

Babalanda continued without divulging: The State House Anti-Corruption Unit (SHACU) is still investigating this issue, where RDC is one of the suspects. We shall see what to do when all these processes are done”

RDC Tukei, district Police commander Charles Patrick Ekoto, and Gombolola Internal Security Officer Mahamoud Oluka were presented before the Grade One Magistrate Court in Bukedea, on July 17, 2023. 

The three were arrested weeks ago by SHACU under the command of Brig. Gen. Henry Isoke. SHACU was directed by President Yoweri Museveni to probe the controversial election irregularities in the just-concluded Bukedea LC5 by-election.

Following their arrest, Tukei and Ekoto were detained in Kira, Kampala, while GISO Oluka turned himself in.  

Tukei, who previously served in Kween district and Ekoto was charged with neglect to prevent a felony.   

The state said being members of the district security committee of Bukedea and having knowledge of a plan being orchestrated by Dan (Malinga) and others still at large to attack and steal election nomination documents of Omagor David Stephen, the two failed to use all reasonable means to prevent the said attack.   

They pleaded not guilty before being remanded to Soroti Prison until July 26, 2023. 

RDC William Wliberforce Tukei during the arrest.

Deputy RDC Yeko Bulubulu is currently acting as the resident district commissioner as Tukei waits to know his fate.  

The other suspects

Before the three were arrested, Emokori ward councilor Dan Malinga Owenge was picked up, arraigned, charged, and remanded to Bukedea Government Prison.  

Their court appearance follows the arrest and remand of five Police officers attached to Bukedea Central Police Station on Tuesday, July 5, over the same messy LC5 byelection.  

The five were also charged and remanded by the same Grade One Court until July 26, 2023.  

They are district crime intelligence officers Alex Enguloit, Onesmus Akankwasa, Simon Peter Oriokot, Difas Kamakoin, and Born Baine.

Voted on behalf of voters 

The President said he had received ‘disturbing information’ that government officials on the night of nomination invaded the house of Omagor, confiscated his academic papers, and stole from him millions so that he could not be nominated.

“Even when Omagor went for nomination, he was attacked at the gate of the EC office,” Museveni said.

Museveni was concerned by the fact that even when voters opted to shun the election exercise on the polling day, owing to the violence they witnessed, “government officials invaded the polling stations and voted on behalf of voters.”

He warned that such electoral violence could potentially drag the country back to the political turmoil of the past.

“This sounds like a film. However, I want to be sure that Uganda does not go back to the crime of 1980, with Muwanga elections that forced us (NRA) to go to the bush,” The President said.

The President's directive has earned praise from the majority of the district, with a section of residents hopeful that the ongoing probe will help restore political sanity in Bukedea.