By Our Reporter
BUDADIRI
The just concluded campaigns and elections for Budadiri East Member of Parliament that saw a fierce contest between Julius Nakiyi, (NRM) Flagbearer and Vincent Woboya, (IND NRM leaning) unfortunately witnessed violence not seen before in the constituency.
Speaking to this publication, Woboya who came second in the elections, points a finger at supporters and or goons hired by his opponent to met out violence against his supporters and agents/mobilizers.
Torching of Woboya’s Mobilization Vehicle
The incidences that started with intimidation of his supporters spiraled into what has never happened in the Budadiri East politics. On the eve of elections, goons linked to candidate Nakiyi initially had a scuffle with Woboya’s supporters near Masaba police post junction at about 8:00PM. The scuffle ensued when Woboya’s convoy heading to his home at Legenya, encountered Nakiyi’s convoy of five vehicles parked at the middle of the road. During the scuffle, Nakiyi’s supports attacked Woboya’s Mobilization vehicle, Nissan Pick-Up UAX 010H with stones scaring away its driver who took off from the scene with the car keys as well.
Woboya drove back to the scene of the scuffle and asked the police to take charge of the damaged vehicle since it was near the police station and it could not be moved in the absence of the car keys.
Unfortunately, the following morning, goons associated to Nakiyi came back and burnt the vehicle into ashes despite the presence of police in the nearby police post.
According to Woboya, the matter has been reported to police and investigations to establish the perpetrators is ongoing with the aim of charging them with malicious damage and compensation of the vehicle.
The violence continued into the polling day where Woboya’s Agents were chased from polling stations in Namanguli Sub County and his Parish Election Supervisor nearly hacked by use of pangas.
Similarly, in Kigobero Sub County, goons associated to Nakiyi beat Woboya’s coordinators and chased them away when they were carrying out mobilization work for their candidate and President Museveni.
Murder on Election Day
To compound the unprecedented violence, goons wearing Nakiyi’s T.Shirts in a convoy of over 30 motorcycles pursued Woboya’ coordinator, Simon Wamasali who was in company of Hussein Magomu and a boda boda rider called Denis Magomu.
Sensing danger, the Woboya Team that was on its way to deliver Agents letters to Mutufu Town Council attempted to race away from the pursuing gang but unfortunately Hussein Magomu fell off the motorcycle at a place called Namiri.
“When Magomu fell off, the Nakiyi goons commanded by occupants moving in a Nissan car caught up with him, pounced on him and beat him with heavy stones and thereafter injected him with paraffin and left him for dead,” says an eyewitness.
Magomu was however, found still alive by a Good Samaritan and rushed to Tobin Hospital in Mbale City where he died an hour later.
So far, five suspects have been arrested in connection with what investigators are so far calling murder.
This violence has raised concerns about the conduct of elections, the role of police in maintaining safety of lives and property of all players, the role of Electoral Commission in ensuring that candidates who incite violence at will are punished and the role of the NRM Party in the management of elections where independent but Party leaning candidates are participating.
A section of political analysts are pointing accusing fingers at the NRM Party for directly or indirectly orchestrating violence especially against those considered ‘rebels’ for going independent after losing Party Primaries.
Budadiri East now joins a long list of constituencies where violence became a tool of do or die politics, a situation that demands the intervention of relevant authorities to institute investigations into these unfortunate acts and have the perpetrators brought to book.
