In the wake of recent unrest during a Kawempe by-election campaign rally, the government has announced plans to charge certain civilians with the illegal use of military attire. Despite this, Minister of State for Internal Affairs, David Muhoozi, has referred to the violent incidents as mere “skirmishes,” a term typically used to describe minor, unplanned conflicts.
This characterization has drawn sharp criticism from Members of Parliament and civil society groups, who are now calling for independent investigations and accountability for the security forces involved. Lwemiyaga County MP, Theodore Ssekikubo, questioned the deployment of the Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force (JATT) during the election campaign, asking, “When the official campaign exercise was announced, the government chose to deploy JATT. Why? Minister, you could tell the country who deployed them and why?”
Amuria District Woman Representative, Susan Amero, condemned the actions of the security forces and highlighted the lack of compensation for victims, stating, “I heard the Minister talk about paying treatment bills, but I didn’t hear him talk about compensating the victims. These are breadwinners with families depending on them. How long will security forces continue taking the law into their hands and walk away free?”
Similarly, Bugabula South MP, Maurice Kibalya, expressed concern over footage showing security personnel allegedly threatening civilians, including an incident where an officer was seen pointing a gun at a woman in her car. He urged Minister Muhoozi to acknowledge the severity of the situation, saying, “Every rightful-thinking Ugandan is asking, how did we reach here? Who is in charge of campaigns in this country? Minister Muhoozi, we want you to restore hope in Ugandans and say this is regrettable. But your statement makes it seem like everything is normal.”
While Minister David Muhoozi has assured Parliament of the government’s commitment to free and fair elections, the recent events in Kawempe have reignited concerns about electoral violence and the conduct of security forces in Uganda.
