Major General Mugisha Muntu, the FDC party Chief Mobiliser, has warned security agencies and NRM government against voter bribery and intimidation ahead of Bukoto South parliamentary by-elections.
On Thursday next week, voters in Bukoto South go to the polls to elect their new Member of Parliament. Four candidates are remaining in the race after the withdrawal of three NRM- leaning candidates from the race.
On Thursday, three candidates—Robert Rutalo, Joseph Ssebayiki and Yusuf Masengere—withdrew from the race in favor of NRM candidate, John Alintuma Nsambu.
Those still in the race are Julius Ssentamu of FDC, Mathias Nsubuga of DP, Dan Katula, an independent candidate and Nsambu.
On Friday, General Muntu rushed to Bukoto South with a team of FDC leaders from Kampala to campaign for Ssentamu.
Muntu addressed several rallies in Kkingo Sub County. Speaking at Kamenyamigo trading centre, Muntu claimed that their FDC camp has received reports that there is a lot of voter bribery going on orchestrated by NRM.
Muntu, a former army commander, also said the NRM party is using security agencies to intimidate voters ahead of the polls. He, however, warned that several FDC leaders have camped in Bukoto South ready to deal with all sorts of intimidation and voter bribery.
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Muntu advises voters to eat the bribe money but choose the right candidate.
Justin Jjuuko, the former Ugandan Boxing champion, who is leading Ssentamu’s campaigns in Bukoto South, says they are ready to respond to any form of intimidation from security agencies. Jjuuko, also known as the Ugandan Destroyer in his playing days, says if the security agencies attempt to be violent, they will also get violent.
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Ssentamu says he is sure of victory if the cases of voter bribery and intimidation are addressed. He claims that he has covered almost 80 percent of the constituency.
The 31-year-old social worker says unlike his rivals Mathias Nsubuga and Alintuma Nsambu who have focused their campaigns on Buganda and closure of CBS radio, he has focused his campaigns on how to address poor education and health services in Bukoto South.
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Reacting to FDC’s allegations of using security agencies to intimidate voters, Simon Peter Wafana, the Southern Region Police Commander, said the anti riot police deployed in the area are not supporting any candidate but are there to give security to all.
