The Uganda Police Force and sister security agencies have deployed heavily in Arua Municipality ahead of the Wednesday August 15th Parliamentary election.
The seat fell vacant after assassination of late Col. Ibrahim Abiriga by unknown gunmen in June 2018 near his home in Kawanda, Wakiso.
The electoral commission set August 15th as polling date for the municipality to elect a new MP. The race has attracted more than 10 candidates. These include Nusura Tiperu NRM, Kassiano Wadri Independent, Bruce Musema FDC, Kennedy Madira DP, Jaffar Alekua Jeema, among several other independent candidates.
However, the race is tight between NRM’s Tiperu and Independent candidate Wadri. Wadri’s candidature has caused division in FDC, as several party members have decided to support him over the official candidate Musema. Wadri has the support of Gen. Mugisha Muntu, the former FDC President and Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi eho recently played a big role in the election of Asuman Basalirwa.
President Yoweri Museveni is in the area today to campaign for the NRM candidate Ms. Tiperu. He will hold a rally at Boma grounds in Arua town to convince residents into voting back NRM into parliament. Abiriga was a known NRM lover.
Addressing the weekly police press conference this morning, Patrick Onyango the Police deputy spokesperson explained that so far there has been no sign or incidents of violence and that the campaigns have been peaceful.
“The campaign for this election is going on smoothly and no major incident has so far been registered. We have enhanced police visibility in black spots of Arua. We shall continue with high visibility and community policing to detect and curtail any crime that may disrupt the exercise” Onyango said.
He added that standby public order management forces have been deployed at strategic locations to timely respond to any forms of public disorder. Police has also enhanced deployment of both covert and overt forces, deployed both static and mobile forces to guard vital installations including offices of electoral commission, party offices and vulnerable places.
“We have reports that there are some people who have been ferried from various parts of the country to Arua Municipality either for purposes of causing confusion to disrupt the exercise or to intimidate voters. We want to urge them to desist from their plan because we are alert and we shall deal with them as the law prescribes” police warned.
They also warned anybody who will be found threatening or intimidating voters or engaging in electoral malpractices that they will be arrested and charged in courts of law.
