The Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara has made a damning claim that opposition National Unity Platform members wore Joint Anti- Terrorism Taskforce(JATT) uniforms and caused violence in the just concluded Kawempe by-election.
While addressing the media at the Uganda Media Centre, Balaam warned NUP supporters against impersonating security personnel to create disorder.
“I’m cautioning National Unity Platform, stop wearing JATT uniform and you claim that it’s JATT. There are NUP people like Sauda Madada who have JATT uniforms with medals on them. Uganda is not like South Sudan, where you go and buy medals and become a General by claim,” Balaam said.
He also urged NUP supporters to avoid provoking security forces.
“Avoid using army uniforms, you should be good people,” he added.
Commenting on the arrest of Kawempe North MP-elect Elias Nalukoola during the nomination process, Balaam defended the government’s actions, claiming the arrest was for his own safety.
“On nomination day, the government saved Nalukoola from getting endangered by NUP, who were intending to endanger him. They grabbed him; we couldn’t know why they were grabbing him and kept him for some time as they were chasing out people who were trying to harm him. That’s how the government reacted, but people didn’t understand it,” Balaam stated.
During the process of filling the vacant Kawempe North constituency MP seat, security forces were repeatedly seen clashing with supporters of candidate Nalukoola. These scuffles resulted in injuries to several journalists, some of whom were also arrested.
Since then, many questions have been raised by the public and the media fraternity regarding why security personnel specifically targeted journalists and NUP supporters.
However, in a surprising turn, Youth State Minister Balaam Barugahara has blamed NUP for the chaos, alleging that they were behind the incidents.
Despite these challenges, NUP’s Erias Nalukoola Luyimbaazi emerged victorious in the election and is now awaiting his swearing-in.
Ruling NRM party Secretary General, Richard Todwong on Sunday said the party is going to challenge the outcome of the election in court after violence he said was orchestrated by NUP supporters and sympathisers.
“There were acts of violence that were reported in the several polling stations within Kawempe North constituency that were carried out by supporters and sympathizers of the National Unity Platform (NUP) political party,” Todwong said.
“The election was not free and fair and whoever was involved must be investigated. We were victims in some of these issues. The commotion was started by members and supporters of NUP. The party calls upon the government to carry out a forensic audit to bring all the culprits who participated and messed up the election to book as soon as possible.”
