Elections : émeute à Nakeseke (Kampala) – septembre 2010

Nakeseke riots over poll results

newvision.co.ug

Wednesday, 8th September, 2010

BY FREDERICK KIWANUKA

Gunshots rocked Semuto town in Nakaseke district as the Police dispersed residents who were protesting the results of the LC5 NRM flag-bearer which were released on Tuesday.

The anti-riot Police also arrested several people who were taking part in the demonstration. Residents placed barricades across the roads and set bonfires at road junctions, denouncing the results, which declared Edward Nsamba the winner.

Nsamba, a strong supporter of the area MP and minister Syda Bbumba, has been tussling it out with the incumbent, Ignatius Koomu. Bbumba has been campaigning for Nsamba, describing Koomu as a ‘broken pipe’ that needed to be replaced if Nakaseke was to develop.

Tension started mounting in the district following the delay by the district NRM electoral officials to release the results, which the pro-Koomu camp said were rigged.

Earlier on, Koomu’s supporters had camped at the party offices at Kiwoko, forcing the district NRM registrar, Dan Mwebaza, to abandon his office.

The Police was called in to guard the office from the errant supporters. The resident district commissioner, Francis Batinti, urged the party leaders in Kampala to intervene.

“I expect the office to be open. You cannot solve the problem by keeping the office closed,” Batinti said on Monday. The power struggle between Bbumba and Koomu started during the 2006 parliamentary elections when Koomu supported Bbumba’s rival, Sempala Mbuga. Bbumba on the other hand campaigned for Koomu’s opponent, Amos Kigozi, who was disqualified over forged academic papers.