The Police is investigating the circumstances under which two National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters were arrested on allegations of voter bribery in Odek sub-county.

The arrest follows an incident in which David Mudong Ongom, the River Aswa Police spokesperson, said Moses Kibuuka, a driver, and Flavia Apio, a law student at Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU), were accused of bribing voters which is against electoral laws.

“We are holding the two and Police are conducting investigations to guide on the next course of action,” Mudong told the media at Omoro Central Police Station.

When asked about the nature of bribery the two were engaged in, the Mudong declined to divulge details, claiming that it was the work of detectives to dig deeper into the case.

The two have been accused of voter bribery and are being detained at Omoro Central Police Station.

On Saturday evening at around 5:30 pm, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, entered the district through Gulu-Moroto road to canvas support for his party’s candidate, Simon Toolit Akecha, who was once a legislator in the 8^th Parliament.

“A section of his supporters went overboard by campaigning at 8:00 pm which is beyond 6:00 pm the stipulated time for a candidate to campaign but, worst of it all is they were bribing voters,” he noted.

After the arrest, NUP took to Twitter to claim that there was a deliberate plan by the Police to target their camp and destabilise their campaign.

Akecha earlier told New Vision that there was heavy deployment at his home in Awere and that his supporters in different areas were being intimidated.

NRM bribery accusations

In all the rallies convened by NRM, voters were being given money after the rally and this would be done according to the sub-county or categories invited.

Andrew Oulanyah Ojok, the NRM flagbearer campaigns in Omoro. Photo by Arnest Tumwesigye

Justine Odong, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate, noted that the practice was going without any interference from Police and the Electoral Commission.

Odong noted that voters were being bribed openly, a factor that heavily compromises the electorate’s ability to have an independent mind before casting their votes.

Eng. Terence Odong, who is contesting as an independent but is FDC leaning, also noted that it becomes hard to campaign among voters who are being bribed by other parties.

“I’m very sure that my talking points are very strong compared to all these candidates and the voters already know this. I’m sure they will vote for me due what I have presented before them,” he noted.

However amidst all these claims, it was very clear that none of the NRM members had been arrested in relation to voter bribery as it had happened with NUP supporters.

Todwong denies bribery claims

Responding to to allegations of bribery, the NRM secretary general, Richard Todwong, saidthe party was strong enough and there was no reason to bribe voters. 

“That is an insult to the Acholi community because you can never bribe them. Ours is just generally people come, we meet and later they go away. You can never bribe someone to vote for you. How much money would you pay people to vote for you, and I wish they could provide evidence of voter bribery as they claim,” he noted.