By Ali Lukomo
Ngobi Henry Bukayi, the male youth councilor for Bugaya, was arrested yesterday during the heated youth district elections in Buyende. His offense? Allegedly capturing a video on his phone of the District Police Commander (DPC) harassing a delegate, an act that swiftly led to his detention.
According to reports from the scene, the incident unfolded as the Buyende youth district elections, already marked by high stakes and tension, were underway. Ngobi Henry Bukayi, who also serves as the Bugaya NRM Secretary for Youth, was allegedly observed filming the DPC, Edson Turanyomwe Birema, interacting with one of the delegates, Isiiko Bony, who represents disabled youth.
It’s claimed that Ngobi’s video aimed to document an alleged instance of the DPC harassing Isiiko Bony. The act of filming, however, reportedly caught the attention of DPC Birema, who quickly switched to arrest him. Ngobi was then whisked away and taken to the Buyende District Police Headquarters, where he is currently being held.
Speaking to our correspondent, several youth present at the elections expressed deep dissatisfaction with the actions of the security forces. They allege that the police and other security personnel are unfairly siding with opposing factions in the closely contested elections.
The Buyende youth elections have drawn significant attention, featuring two prominent candidates vying for the chairmanship: Agrey Musooma and Sande Ronald. The electoral process involves forty-five delegates, each tasked with electing their preferred leaders for the youth council.
Further discontent was voiced regarding the acting NRM administrator, whom the youth accuse of failing to manage the elections impartially and of allegedly “working on orders” rather than ensuring a fair and transparent process for all participants.
The arrest of a prominent youth leader during such a critical electoral process has fueled concerns about the fairness and transparency of the Buyende youth elections. Many are now calling for a thorough investigation into the allegations of police misconduct and electoral interference as the situation continues to develop.
