The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Rukungiri, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Many campaign posters of opposition and independent candidates in Rukungiri Municipality have been defaced and replaced with those of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s campaigns there today.
Museveni is scheduled to hold a scientific campaign rally at Rukungiri municipal stadium as he concludes his rallies in Kigezi sub-region. The scientific campaign is to attract selected leaders from Rukungiri and Kanungu districts.
Before, many streets in Rukungiri municipality especially at Ntungamo stage, roundabout and Rubabo road were decorated with posters and banners of opposition and independent candidates like Dr. Warren Tumwiine Nuwagaba, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) MP flag bearer for Rukungiri municipality, Independents Ingrid Turinawe and Jovita Kimujuni on the same seat and Betty Bamukwasa Muzanira, FDCs flag bearer for district woman MP seat.
However, by mid morning today, many of them were seen defaced and replaced with those of Museveni.
Amon Turinawe, a boda boda rider in Rukungiri town says that most of the posters were defaced and replaced with Museveni’s by a group of youth very early in the morning. Other posters were seen pushed down to create space for posters of NRM aspirants. He says however, that although by the time opposition and independent posters were being defaced security personnel had deployed in the town, they just looked on and did not do anything to stop them.
Pius Busingye, a businessman along Karegyesa road says that Museveni’s posters would have been hanged in other places that are free, than targeting where others had displayed. He says that such vice creates anger of the affected candidates and their supporters for no reason.
Alex Tumuhimbise, one of the youths who was found hanging Museveni’s posters says that they received an order from NRM organizers of the campaigns in the district to replace posters of opposition with NRMs’ at all strategic places.
Jim Muhwezi Katugugu, Rukungiri District NRM party chairman says that he is not aware of any defaced poster. He adds that he has no time to comment more on the matter because he is busy.
Rukungiri is the home of former FDC presidential candidate Kiiza Besigye and the independent presidential aspirant Henry Tumukunde.
In 2016 general elections, Besigye narrowly defeated Museveni in Rukungiri with 58,883 votes while Museveni got 56,425 votes. According to Section 83 Clause 2 of the Parliamentary Elections Act of 2001, any person who maliciously defaces or removes or tears, any election poster of any nominated candidate commits an offence and is liable, on conviction to a fine not exceeding thirty currency points or imprisonment not exceeding one year or both.
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