Yet another day and the NRM Primary are postponed again. That is not really news when it happens with so often. There have been issues in the areas that already have had local council elections. Now it’s more elections for the candidates for MPs and Presidential. Before the continuation there been reports of military police going to areas of the NRM Primaries before starting of casting the votes, even mini-buses being shipped in between the areas to secure that certain individuals are winning the elections. In Kasese the losers of the local elections deflected from NRM towards the Go-Forward Ticket, and mean they no longer stand by the Mzee, but instead for Amama Mbabazi.
Norbert Mao of the DP is saying this on social media: “Have you heard? I hear the NRM primaries postponed…again! There is something rotten in Sevoland”.
IGP Kale Kayihura even had to say this before the primaries:
“Due to several violent incidents that have characterized the party primaries in the recently concluded elections, we felt it’s important to alert the country that the State is in control and will not allow any violence” (…)”Primaries must take place without violence; people must know that elections are not warfare” (Segawa, 2015).
The Chairman of NRM Electoral Commission Dr. Tanga Odoi said this:
“She is trying to destroy the party by trying to rig elections. We have credible evidence that she was trying to rig the eledctions” (…)”Nantaba was involved in a scam, she has to report to the NRM vice chairman, Hajji Moses Kigongo and apologize before I can act” (Kamugisha, 2015).
Dr. Tanga Odoi has been claiming that a candidate has been trying to rig the primaries election. This one is Aidah Nantaba. The claim is that she with a gang of folks went into Luzira and took ballot papers. Even with doing so, she still lost her mandate to Moses Karangwa in Kayunga district (Kamugisha, 2015).
The Secretary of the NRM Justine Lumumba said this recently:
“Those party members were rejected by voters in the party. They should not be talking about standing as independents now. They should be rallying behind candidates elected by voters in the party primaries. If they go ahead and stand as independents, the party constitution will be used to expel them” (…)”As a person responsible for supervising the NRM electoral commission, I have never received any complaints regarding the NRM primaries shortcomings. If I did, I would have resolved them. As far as I am concerned there are no complaints from the two party leaders for me to resolve” (Lukoma, 2015).
This weekends actions in Kashenyi in Ngoma Sub County:
“The minister of state for Justice also Deputy Attorney General Mr. Mwesigwa Rukutana and city businessman Bob Kabonero, the proprietor of Kampala Kasino were on Friday evening arrested and held hostage by voters over bribing electorates” (…)”This comes after the scuffle began when one of Mr. Justus Karuhanga’s Supporters Mr. Jamada Mawanda arrested by Mr. Rukutana at his rally, was tied up and beaten by his supporters, and put into a vehicle belonging to the minister on handcuffs” (…)”The Ntungamo district police commander Baker Kawonawo confirmed the scuffle at Kashenyi trading centre in Ngoma Sub County on the Uganda Rwanda border but dismissed the assault of Rukutana. Mr. Rukutana also denies being beaten up arguing that the scuffle only involved supporters (…)”Mr. Rukutana, Mr Herbert Nyongozi and Mr. Amon Kamugyene) at her home Irenga Ntungamo sub county on Saturday evening with the three candidates accusing Mr. Rukutana of using his position to threaten them out of the race. They also accused him of bribing votes and intimidating them” (MK News Link, 2015).
There have been reports of even more postponing of the primaries in Kiruhura District. It has been postponed after the main candidate suffered a fatal death in a car accident on the Masaka – Mbarara road on Saturday even. The sudden death of Michael Nyamuguri Kananura was the comping MP aspirant of Kiruhura. This postponement came as a request from major stakeholders in the area (Twesigye, 2015).
Like earlies report is that their fires as Sembabule in the town of Mawogola today! That is where the police have been shootings into the crowds. To top it all of the police have actually has shot directly at people’s houses in the area. A lot of people have ended up being hurt by the shootings.
In Kinkiizi East earlier today, there has been exposed trying to elaborately vote rigging. Where Mr. Chris Baryomunsi had pre-ticked NRM ballot tickets in his car and this got found out by a crashing that set vehicle before reaching Kanugu.
At the Kasese Police Station there are impounded cars owned by MP Mbahimba over trying to bribe voters. Therefore the car is set in the compound of the police right now (Kahungu, 2015).
In Mbale there also been actions and the police has arrest 32 people, allegedly for planning to disrupt the primaries in Bungokho South. The suspects are now under detentions in the Mbale Central Police Station (Omagor, 2015).
In Jinja there have been reported coming more police and security agents ahead of the Primaries in town yesterday (Walukamba, 2015). At the same day Annet Musika commented this: “the NRM primaries in Jinja are likely not to be free and fair because of bribery” (Gulumire, 2015).
What you think? Seem like there will be issues. Especially with reports of rigging and trying to rig it! There are so many issues that it seems like Dr. Tanga Odoi has not total control of the movement on the ground. Tamale Mirundi must have a field day and will call him out again. How the candidates and the police even arrest people. Shows that there are deeper issues and with the reports from earlier NRM Primaries proves the quality and how it is mended to fix certain candidates instead of honoring the members with their will. That is not a good luck before the main General-Election coming 2016. Especially with evidence of pre-ticket ballots and violence from the Police at every turn. The NRM party is showing frictions and also that their struggles with the different wings of the party. Especially when one part loses or is rigged lose, they shifts to Amama Mbabazi or goes independent. Then the Electoral Commission of the Party will expel the individual who does so. That proves that there is some arrangements that is hurting the Party and that the NRM Electoral Commission is not honoring the members like we saw earlier this year. Peace.
Reference:
Gulumire, Andrew – ‘Jinja Woman Parliamentary Aspirant Quits NRM Primaries’ (25.10.2015) link: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/jinja-woman-parliamentary-aspirant-quits-nrm-primarie
Kamugisha, Samuel – ‘Tanga Odoi To Minister Nantaba: Apologise Within Four Hours Or Be Arrested’ (26.10.2015) link: http://www.hotspot.ug/2015/10/26/tanga-odoi-to-minister-nantaba-apologise-within-four-hours-or-be-arrested/
Kahungu, Thembo – ‘Police Impound MP Mbahimba’s Vehicle Over Voter Bribery’ (26.10.2015)
Link: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/mp-mbahimbas-vehicle-impounded-over-voter-bribery
Lukoma, David – ‘Minister Nantaba, Nankabira Face Expulsion From NRM’ (26.10.2015) link: http://news.ugo.co.ug/minister-nantaba-nankabira-face-expulsion-from-nrm/
MK News Link – ‘NRM Election Violence: Minister Rukutana, Bob Kabonero Assaulted by opponent’s supporters’ (25.10.2015) link: http://mknewslink.com/nrm-election-violence-minister-rukutana-bob-kabonero-assaulted-by-opponents-supporters/
Omagor, Javier Silas – ‘Mbale Police Arrest 32 Ahead of NRM Primaries’ (26.10.2015)
Link: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/mbale-police-arrest-32-ahead-of-nrm-primaries#ixzz3pg5tAbN2
Segawa, Nixon – ‘Kayihura Warns Against Violence in NRM Primaries’ (25.10.2015) link: http://chimpreports.com/kayihura-warns-against-violence-in-nrm-primaries/
Twesigye, Faluku – ‘Kiruhura NRM Primaries Postponed’ (25.10.2015) link: http://www.redpepper.co.ug/kiruhura-nrm-primaries-postponed/
Walukamba, Aldon G. – ‘Security Beefed up ahead of Jinja NRM Primary Elections’ (25.10.2015 Link: http://ugandaradionetwork.com/story/security-beefed-up-ahead-of-jinja-nrm-primary-elections
MinBane 