Newslex Point News in Uganda, Uganda news
UPDF Soldiers and other security personnel, yesterday violently grabbed voter registers from polling agents. This happened at a number of polling stations in Entebbe Municipality and thereafter. The soldiers took over management of the mayoral elections.
Both the opposition members and members of the ruling party NRM accused the army of interfering in the election process.
The UPDF was also accused of intimidating the supporters of different parties into voting for a specific person at the different polling stations.
There were sights of violence as security operatives beat one of the news reporters that were following the events at Banga-Nakiwogo polling station. They confiscated his phones as well as his identification documents and his tore his press jacket to pieces.
The reporter’s cry that he was just a journalist trying to cover the election process fell on deaf ears. The soldiers tortured him for close to 30 minutes. By the time they let him go, he had sustained serious injuries.
What the current mayor says
The incumbent mayor of Entebbe, Mr. Vincent Kayanja De Paul said the actions of the soldiers were a slap on the face of democracy. He also said the soldiers had no right to access voter registers, which are a preserve of polling officials.
‘’We have a challenge in polling areas that have UPDF soldiers as voters. These army officers are trampling on the rights and powers of polling agents and their candidates’’. The mayor said shortly after casting his vote in Katabi.
In response to this, the UPDF spokesperson, Brig. Flavia Byekwaso said what the soldiers did in Entebbe was very wrong. She also said the Army will investigate their officers’ actions.
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