By Steven Candia
CLOSE to 20 people are being held over various electoral offences in the ongoing NRM primary elections, the Police said yesterday.

The Force also cautioned ‘privileged’ aspirants against going to the polling stations with weapons or with armed bodyguards.

The measures, the Police said, were aimed at securing the elections and averting violence, which has marred the start of the exercise.

Addressing the journalists at the Kampala Central Police Station, the deputy director of operations, Grace Turyagumanawe, said the Force was determined to safeguard life and property and warned that anybody found fomenting chaos or involved in election malpractice would be prosecuted.

“No one is allowed to go with armed bodyguards or firearm to an election area. Anyone found involved in rigging will be arrested and prosecuted,” Turyagumanawe said, adding that the Police cannot be intimidated.

He appealed to aspirants and the public to desist from taking the law into their hands but instead report to the Police if aggrieved.

Flanked by the Police spokesperson, Judith Nabakooba, Turyagumanawe said: “There are some few cases being investigated and once we are done we should be able to avail you a comprehensive list and details,” he said.

Nabakooba said one person had been arrested and detained at Wandegeya Police Station, two in Kabale, three in Mbale, four in Mbale and nine in Budaka in connection with various election offences.

“These are part of the cases being investigated in connection with violence, assault and malicious damage of property,” she said.

She, however, pointed out that they were treating a Monday incident in which an LC1 aspirant was stabbed to death in Namuwongo, Kampala as murder and not related to the elections.

In Kabale, Nabakooba disclosed that a registrar identified as Robert Mugabo and his assistant, Daudi Kyogambira, were in custody over election malpractice.