More than fifty UPDF soldiers were on Tuesday night deployed to patrol the streets in Kasese town ahead of today’s by-election for the district woman Member of Parliament.
Some UPDF soldiers were also patrolling the suburbs of Nyamwamba and Nyakasanga, the scenes of Tuesday’s clashes between anti-riot police and demonstrators. There was teargas in the town as police tried to disperse the angry rioters. Business was paralyzed in Kizungu, Nyakasanga and Kigoro areas of Nyamwamba Division.
More than 40 people including former Busongora South MP Christopher Kibazanga were arrested by the police during the clashes. While some of them were taken to Fort Portal, others were released without charge.
The soldiers and armed plain-clothed security operatives were also checking every vehicle that was entering Kasese town.
A Uganda Radio Network Reporter in the area also saw more soldiers at Kasese Police Station, being loaded off three police trucks.
Wilson Kwanya, the Western Region Police Commander, refused to comment on the presence of the army in the town.
The UPDF 2nd Division spokesperson Capt. Peter Mugisa also declined to comment on the matter when contacted.
Meanwhile, the FDC condemned the presence of the army in the town, on the eve of the elections.
Addressing a press conference at his home in Kasese town shortly after he was released, Kibazanga said that the presence of the army is a tactic by the government to scare away voters. Kibazanga is a top FDC party official and the chief campaign agent for Winfred Kiiza, one of the candidates in the parliamentary race.
According to Kibazanga, they have got reports that some FDC supporters are scared of turning up to vote, because of the heavy presence of the army in the district.
The chief mobiliser of the FDC party, Major General Mugisha Muntu, said that some of the party agents who were supposed to monitor the elections were arrested and tortured by the police.
Muntu said that he has requested the Electoral Commission to delay to deliver the voting materials to some polling stations, until the party gets more agents.
