National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya and his driver were on Wednesday released on a Police bond amidst condemnation by the party leadership, saying the arrest was uncalled for. 

The Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango, confirmed that Rubongoya and his driver Gordon Agamba were released at about 6 pm on Wednesday, June 22, 2022, after a few hours in detention at Nateete Police Station in Rubaga Division. 

He said the duo were directed to report back to police next week but did not specify the day. 

In a tweet, Rubongoya said, "We are free at last". 

Present at Nateete Police Station was the party spokesman Joel Ssenyonyi who condemned the charges preferred on the two in connection with the last month's by-election in Omoro county. 

He said the charges were fake, and if the police wanted, they should have arrested all the party supporters who went to Omoro instead of singling a few people.

Earlier, Onyango had indicated that Rubongoya threatened the health minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, during the Omoro by-election held last month. 

According to the police message, it is alleged that on May 26, 2022, at about midday, while in Omoro County, Rubongoya, using motor vehicle registration number UAS 490Z, Toyota Landcruiser, white in colour, threatened Dr Aceng. The case was allegedly recorded on file number 19/26/5/2022. 

Onyango however did not divulge details of how the two suspects threatened the minister.

Omoro by-election 

Andrew Ojok, son of the late former Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanya and a member of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), was declared the winner of the by-election held on May 26, 2022. 

He garnered 14,224 of the total votes cast. He beat his main rival, National Unity Platform’s Simon Toolit Akecha, who collected 1,633 votes. 

Others in the race included Terence Odonga (Independent), who got 532 votes, Justine Odong Obiya (Forum for Democratic Change), who got 529, Jimmy Odong Onen (Independent) with 88 votes and Oscar Kizza (Alliance for National Transformation), who scored only 63 votes. 

NUP, however, contested the outcome of the by-election, claiming that many of their agents were arrested by the security personnel on the eve and during the election.