Katuntu wins hotly contested Bugweri byelection
Dec 14, 2007
FORUM for Democratic Change(FDC) candidate Abdu Katuntu won the hotly-contested Bugweri by-election late last night. He polled 14,704 votes or 50.8% of the ballots cast, the Electoral Commission announced.
By George Bita, Geresom
Musamali and Moses Nampala
FORUM for Democratic Change(FDC) candidate Abdu Katuntu won the hotly-contested Bugweri by-election late last night. He polled 14,704 votes or 50.8% of the ballots cast, the Electoral Commission announced.
His arch-rival Kirunda Kivejinja (NRM) came second with 12,829 ballots or 44.3%. Godfrey Nabongo came third, with 993 votes, while Menya Kalamawo and Solomon Nabeta trailed.
The byelection was ordered by court after Katuntu, who had held the seat in the previous Parliament, accused the then winner Kivejinja, of bribery and of orchestrating violence in the 2006 parliamentary elections. In yesterday’s poll, Katuntu led in all the sub-counties.
His supporters went into early celebrations as the results trickled in from the 99 polling stations across the constituency. Katuntu pitched camp at the tallying centre at the Busesa county offices. The head of the Electoral Commission, Badru Kiggundu, was also present.
A few cases of violence had been cited, which prompted heavy Police deployment in the trouble spots. Earlier results had put Kivejinja in the lead in Makutu sub-county while Katuntu recorded successes in Idudi and Butende.
At Minani A, Katuntu had 223 against Kivejinja’s 164. But at Minani B, Kivejinja had 212 votes against 181 forKatuntu. The Police deployed heavily in Minani, following an earlier incident in which Jinja West MP Harry Kasigwa and his colleague Martin Wandera were assaulted.
The deputy Police spokesperson, Judith Nabakoba, said the two politicians were going to the aid of a woman suspected to have been bribing voters for Katuntu when they were assaulted.
Nabakoba said the incident took place outside a polling station and Police was not treating the matter as electoral violence. Anti-riot Police also dispersed a mob at Idudi trading centre which wanted to lynch a suspected electoral fraudster.
The unnamed man was allegedly bribing voters for the Kivejinja camp. He ran into a nearby house when cornered by the mob. He escaped before the Police arrested him. A Media Plus cameraman, Paul Kasoma, was also reportedly assaulted near Busembatia. His camera was broken.
The Democracy Monitoring Group expressed concern about the presence of Kalangala Action Plan led by Maj. Kakooza Mutale at a polling station. Kakooza Mutale camped at Ibaako Primary School with a yellow bus, a yellow pick-up truck, and campaign materials.
The law prohibits such materials within 100 metres of a polling station. The Electoral Commission chairman, Prof. Badru Kiggundu, asked Kakooza Mutale to leave the station. He drove away and camped at the next school where there was no polling station.
Voters at Buwaabe Primary School accused FDC publicity chief Wafula Ogutu of waving three times the two-finger sign of his party. Wafula Ogutu said he did so unconsciously and promised not to do it again.
Kivejinja also said FDC “gangsters†were causing confusion. “Salaamu Musumba and Wafula Oguttu are here to incite violence as a way of rigging this poll. My team is alert and knows what to do,†Kivejinja said after voting at Buwaabe Primary School at midday.
Kivejinja, dressed casually, said this was a competition in which there had to be a winner and a loser. “I am prepared for whichever outcome.†Katuntu cast his vote at 9:00am at Mifubi mosque polling station in Idudi parish.
“This time round if things go wrong I won’t concede defeat because victory has been on my side from the start,†Katuntu said. He added: “I would automatically seek legal redress if I lose as there have been a number of scenarios of intimidation reported although lately the situation has been calmed.â€
Musamali and Moses Nampala
FORUM for Democratic Change(FDC) candidate Abdu Katuntu won the hotly-contested Bugweri by-election late last night. He polled 14,704 votes or 50.8% of the ballots cast, the Electoral Commission announced.
His arch-rival Kirunda Kivejinja (NRM) came second with 12,829 ballots or 44.3%. Godfrey Nabongo came third, with 993 votes, while Menya Kalamawo and Solomon Nabeta trailed.
The byelection was ordered by court after Katuntu, who had held the seat in the previous Parliament, accused the then winner Kivejinja, of bribery and of orchestrating violence in the 2006 parliamentary elections. In yesterday’s poll, Katuntu led in all the sub-counties.
His supporters went into early celebrations as the results trickled in from the 99 polling stations across the constituency. Katuntu pitched camp at the tallying centre at the Busesa county offices. The head of the Electoral Commission, Badru Kiggundu, was also present.
A few cases of violence had been cited, which prompted heavy Police deployment in the trouble spots. Earlier results had put Kivejinja in the lead in Makutu sub-county while Katuntu recorded successes in Idudi and Butende.
At Minani A, Katuntu had 223 against Kivejinja’s 164. But at Minani B, Kivejinja had 212 votes against 181 forKatuntu. The Police deployed heavily in Minani, following an earlier incident in which Jinja West MP Harry Kasigwa and his colleague Martin Wandera were assaulted.
The deputy Police spokesperson, Judith Nabakoba, said the two politicians were going to the aid of a woman suspected to have been bribing voters for Katuntu when they were assaulted.
Nabakoba said the incident took place outside a polling station and Police was not treating the matter as electoral violence. Anti-riot Police also dispersed a mob at Idudi trading centre which wanted to lynch a suspected electoral fraudster.
The unnamed man was allegedly bribing voters for the Kivejinja camp. He ran into a nearby house when cornered by the mob. He escaped before the Police arrested him. A Media Plus cameraman, Paul Kasoma, was also reportedly assaulted near Busembatia. His camera was broken.
The Democracy Monitoring Group expressed concern about the presence of Kalangala Action Plan led by Maj. Kakooza Mutale at a polling station. Kakooza Mutale camped at Ibaako Primary School with a yellow bus, a yellow pick-up truck, and campaign materials.
The law prohibits such materials within 100 metres of a polling station. The Electoral Commission chairman, Prof. Badru Kiggundu, asked Kakooza Mutale to leave the station. He drove away and camped at the next school where there was no polling station.
Voters at Buwaabe Primary School accused FDC publicity chief Wafula Ogutu of waving three times the two-finger sign of his party. Wafula Ogutu said he did so unconsciously and promised not to do it again.
Kivejinja also said FDC “gangsters†were causing confusion. “Salaamu Musumba and Wafula Oguttu are here to incite violence as a way of rigging this poll. My team is alert and knows what to do,†Kivejinja said after voting at Buwaabe Primary School at midday.
Kivejinja, dressed casually, said this was a competition in which there had to be a winner and a loser. “I am prepared for whichever outcome.†Katuntu cast his vote at 9:00am at Mifubi mosque polling station in Idudi parish.
“This time round if things go wrong I won’t concede defeat because victory has been on my side from the start,†Katuntu said. He added: “I would automatically seek legal redress if I lose as there have been a number of scenarios of intimidation reported although lately the situation has been calmed.â€