Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi, the DP candidate for the Butambala county by-elections has pitched camp at Kibibi Central Police Station to demand the release of his campaign manager.
Abdullah Murawa was picked up on Monday from Katabira village by police led by the Butambala District Police Commander Musa Kayongo. He was thereafter whisked off to Kibibi Central Police Station. The police accused Murawa of disrupting the ongoing voters' register update exercise ahead of the September 12 Butambala County parliamentary by elections.
Angered by Murawa's arrest, Muwanga stormed Kibibi Central Police Station on Monday evening with a handful of his supporters and pitched camp at the station demanding his release. By Tuesday morning, Muwanga and his supporters were still camped at Kibibi Police Station demanding for Murawa's release.
Muwanga Kivumbi told URN that Murawa was arrested for stopping minors from being registered by an election official he identified only as Ssempebwa. He also says that depsite the fact that police has failed to record a statement from Murawa or charge him, they continue holding him illegally. Muwanga has vowed to stay put at Kibibi Police station until the DPC unconditionally releases his campaign manager or charges him in court.
He accuses police officers in the district of siding with the ruling NRM candidate Faisal Kikulukunyu and helping him to ferry none residents to register for the polls. He appeals to Kale Kayihura, the Inspector General of Police to intervene in the matter.
Musa Kayongo, the Butambala DPC, however, accuses Muwanga Kivumbi of hiring goons to disrupt the ongoing voters' register update exercise under flimsy excuses. Kayongo told URN this morning, that he has received several reports implicating the DP candidate and his supporters in confiscating election materials and harassing vote register update officials without any valid reason.
He insists that Murawa has a case to answer and will be presented before the Mpigi Chief Magistrate’s court later today for disrupting the voters' register update exercise. Kikulukunyu and Butambala Electoral Commission officials have not yet commented as they were reportedly in a meeting at the time of filing this story. The Butambala County parliamentary seat fell vacant after Muwanga Kivumbi successfully challenged the election of Faisal Kikulukunyu on allegations of voter bribery.
