How NRM floored FDC in Kamuli polls

Apr 13, 2017

Watongola polled 8,728 votes against Musumba’s 5,778, according to the official results declared at 7:30pm, barely three-and-half hours after the close of the voting exercise.

Hajat Rehema Watongola

The NRM flag-bearer, Hajat Rehema Watongola, has emerged winner of the tightly contested Kamuli byelection, defeating the FDC candidate and former legislator Proscovia Salaamu Musumba.

Watongola polled 8,728 votes against Musumba's 5,778, according to the official results declared at 7:30pm, barely three-and-half hours after the close of the voting exercise.

As the results trickled in indicating a clear win for Watongola, her supporters took to the streets and started celebrating, even before the Electoral Commission (EC) announced the results.

The supporters stormed the streets brandishing tree branches and her posters, singing her praises and loud music blaring Oli w'amukisa, her popular campaign song.

The exercise was overseen by the chairman of the EC, Justice Simon Byabakama, with his team that pitched camp at Kamuli Youth Centre. In a tweet, NRM lawyer Kiryowa Kiwanuka said; "Kamuli has done it again. Thank you for voting Watongola as MP Kamuli Municipality."

Earlier in the day, the Police summoned and briefly held Musumba after seizing a number of weapons from her car.

The Police, after a tip-off, hunted for Musumba's car and found it in Southern division containing weapons, which the Police suspected could be used to cause harm.

According to the Police spokesperson for Busoga North region, Michael Kasadha, the weapons they recovered from Musumba's car included a bow and five arrows, one catapult, a fan belt, one fork and a pair of army boots.

 Also in the car were two rolls of steel wire, two bottles of Whiskey and a bottle of Tusker beer.

However, by the time the car was got, Musumba was not in it, save for her driver and three other occupants.

The Police later summoned Musumba, who told the Police that the weapons had nothing to do with the elections, but to ensure her personal security, adding that they were registered with the security.

She requested the district Police commander, Colins Kyasimire, to allow her resolve the matter the next day, so that she could hunt down the "vote thieves," which was granted before she was released.

The four occupants of the car were detained at the Central Police Station.

However, Kasadha said the Police are making consultations on the charge to be brought against the suspects.

In its preliminary report, the Citizens' Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) said its observers recorded incidents of violence and a number of malpractices that were orchestrated by supporters of both FDC and NRM.

CCEDU was also concerned about the high number of unauthorised persons within the polling stations and noted that some people were denied a chance to vote.

"The general management of the process was commendable. Voting started before 8:00am at all stations and many party agents observed the voting from beginning to end and raised red flags on electoral ills," CCEDU said.

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