It’s that time again when Ugandans prepare to go to the polls and there is widespread fear that the election process will be marred by violence and police brutality against the public.
Of late security personnel including Police, Army, and LDU’s have come under fire for flogging, injuring, and even shooting dead civilians while enforcing the law and order.
Religious leaders under their umbrella body, the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda- IRCU has come out to condemn such acts of violence meted on the public by security personnel.
IRCU fears that the rate at which security forces are enforcing the law without respect dignity would lead to a bloody polling process, therefore, describing the elections as not free and fair.
Justice James Ogoola, the Chairperson of the Elders Forum, says the credibility of the 2021 elections will be questioned if security forces make it difficult for people to exercise their rights.
”My fear is that if we go this way without harmony, with force against force, with teargas on one side and blood being spilled on the streets, then at the end of the exercise it will be very difficult to convince anybody that, a; that was an election,b; it was fair, it was free and without those qualifications, the constitutional mandate, bringing people’s will to choose who and how they will be governed will not have been fulfilled.” Ogoola says.
Joshua Kitakule, the Secretary-General IRCU, says although the police are mandated to maintain law and order, the enforcement should be done with dignity and respect.
This comes after violent arrests and beatings that happened on 3rd November 2021, the 2nd day of the nomination of presidents.
National Unity Platform (NUP) Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine was brutally plucked out of his ride and arested minutes after he was duly nominated and driven to his home in Magere where he was held in their custody.
Bobi’ss supporters and party members who camped a]outside his Magere residence were flogged and sustained injuries.
On the other hand, Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Patrick Amuriat Oboi was also arrested aat the party headquarters in Najjanankumbi where he had gone to gather his entourage. He was forcefully driven to Kyambogo for his nomination on barefoot.
