Ugandan security forces have been accused of storming the residence of an opposition member of parliament during Thursday's national elections, resulting in the death of ten individuals from his campaign team.
Lawmaker's Account of the Attack
Muwanga Kivumbi, a senior figure in the National Unity Platform (NUP) and the MP for Butambala, confirmed the tragic event in a phone interview with AFP on Friday, January 16. Kivumbi stated he was "emotionally broken" after the assault on his home. He revealed that the shooting started after hundreds of his supporters gathered at his compound once voting had concluded.
His wife, law professor Zahara Nampewo, provided chilling details, alleging that security officers fired through the door of a garage where ten campaign agents had sought refuge. Many other supporters managed to flee as the forces entered the property.
Contradictory Police Narrative and Election Context
Local police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe presented a starkly different version of events. She claimed that "a group of NUP goons" had planned to attack and burn a local tally centre and police station. Tumushabe reported that "an unspecified number were put out of action" and confirmed the arrest and charging of 25 people for malicious damage to property.
This violent incident unfolded as Uganda voted in an election conducted under a government-imposed nationwide internet shutdown. President Yoweri Museveni was seeking to extend his rule, which has lasted nearly four decades, amid accusations from human rights organizations of "brutal repression" against opposition supporters.
Aftermath and Ongoing Tensions
Kivumbi and Nampewo asserted that security personnel removed the bodies from their home. The couple, however, told AFP they had verified the death toll of ten at a nearby hospital. The government's internet blackout prevented images from the scene from being circulated.
Expressing deep anxiety, Nampewo said security forces had been redeployed around their home. "I was very shaken personally. Seeing fresh bodies. I mean, that is something that cannot easily go away," she stated. The couple also reported heavy security presence around their residence in the days before the election and previous attacks on members of their campaign team.
