Nebbi polls: 13 opposition supporters arrested

Jul 27, 2018

Voting in Nebbi got underway on Friday morning with relatively high voter turn up

Thirteen opposition supporters were on Friday morning arrested in a swoop by security operatives, hours before the polls opened in Nebbi Municipality.

Majority of the arrests were made in Abindu division with at least 13 supporters picked up from Kasuku village in Nyaracara ward.

Josephine Angucia, the West Nile Police spokesperson, said those arrested were accused of being a public nuisance and inciting violence.

She explained that the suspects gathered at the home of one Oliver Odongo and started making noise and accusing her of holding money to bribe voters.

"We have 13 suspects with us. They are all detained on the same offence of inciting violence," Angucia said, adding that the suspects were being detained at Nebbi Police Station.

Angucia urged the different candidates and their supporters to be calm and avoid situations that lead to violence.

She also said those arrested would be released to go and cast their votes.

When canvassing votes for NRM candidates recently, President Yoweri Museveni warned those threatening party supporters in the elections, noting that they are "playing with fire".  He said he would send a team of policemen to come and deal issue of violence during elections. 

Voting in Nebbi got underway on Friday morning with relatively high voter turn up.

By 7am, voters mostly youth, were already at the polling stations waiting to cast their votes.

 

The voting process however started late in many polling stations due to the late delivery of polling materials.

For instance at Nebbi Public Primary School and Unjuku polling stations, voting started at 8:04am and 8:36am.

A number of voters New Vision spoke to said  they could not afford to miss voting, saying that the election has offered them the opportunity to choose someone suitable to steer development in the newly created municipality.

"I am happy to cast my vote, it is the only opportunity I can use to choose my leader," said Grace Akello a voter in Nebbi town.

Four candidates are battling in the race for the Nebbi Municipality MP seat. They are Patrick Aloysius Okumu Ringa, an NRM leaning independent and former state minister for public service.

Others are Betty Udongo, former woman MP for Nebbi, Enrico Opio and Berocan Okurulal, all vying as independents, and Robert Onega of FDC. Onega is a two time loser in the Padyere County MP race.

Those contesting for mayor are Ngiriker Godfrey of NRM, the incumbent James Combe Mucek, and independents Kissa Lawrence Ojok and Charles Olangi.

Created in 2016, the municipality has three divisions of Abindu, Thatha and Central division, with a population of 35,029 people.

About 18,000 voters are expected to cast their votes in the 35 polling stations.

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