One man was killed and several others injured in Kamuli District last night, as electoral violence escalated ahead of today’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries. Police confirmed that Sowedi Egumbye died during a confrontation following an attack on the home of a sitting Member of Parliament.
ASP Michael Kasadha, the Busoga North Regional Police spokesperson, confirmed the death of Sowedi Egumbye in an interview with Richard Mutoigo of Baba FM. Kasadha acknowledged that the incident was directly related to the scheduled NRM elections happening across the country.
According to Kasadha, Sowedi Egumbye was part of a motorcade that attacked and rammed into the house of Martin Muzaale, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Buzaaya County, who is seeking re-election.
“They used one of the cars to knock the gate of Muzaale to gain entry. They injured people because they had weapons like pangas and hammers. These are some of the items we recovered from the [crime] scene,” Kasadha stated.
Police officers were dispatched to the scene after receiving a call. Upon arrival, they encountered armed individuals who refused to comply with police orders as they attempted to flee.
“When we got the call, we dispatched police officers. The people police officers found at the scene had weapons. They refused to stop when police stopped as they were fleeing. To stop them, police fired bullets to deflate the tyres, in that melee, Sowedi died,” the spokesperson explained.
When directly asked by Mutoigo if the police had killed Sowedi, Kasadha responded affirmatively. He expressed regret over the loss of life but emphasized the need for adherence to electoral guidelines and law enforcement directives.
“It is bad. We wouldn’t want to lose anybody because of elections but we also want people to follow election guidelines. If it is time for elections, it is for elections; if it is time for police to do their work, let them do their work. No one should attack the other,” Kasadha urged.
The incident occurred at approximately 11 pm, a time when electoral guidelines prohibit campaigning activities.
Kasadha further revealed that several individuals who are not residents of Kasambira have been arrested in connection with the violence. “We are getting information that several candidates have ferried people from different areas to areas where they don’t vote from,” he added, indicating a potential breach of electoral integrity.
Sowedi Egumbye’s body has been moved to the mortuary in Kamuli as further investigations commence. Kasadha urged the public to remain peaceful, warning that “Those who will prove not to be peaceful will be arrested until after elections.”
Sowedi Egumbye has been identified as the husband of Sarah Auma, an aspirant for the Kamuli district chairperson position.
