By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
Opposition leaders in Entebbe are crying foul and accuse their counterpart of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) of using security agencies to block opposition supporters from voting their candidates on top of transporting students to the polling stations to vote candidates of the ruling party.
Some of the accused NRM bosses include Kasozi Kiruweri (Entebbe Municipality NRM vice chairperson), Senfuka Tamuzadde (General Secretary NRM) and Twaha Ssempala (Entebbe NRM mobilizer). However they deny these allegations.
On June 19, 2025, armed security officers allegedly mobilized students from Entebbe Comprehensive Senior Secondary School and ordered them to vote NRM youth candidates despite majority of them being under the voting age bracket.
The leadership of National Unity Platform Entebbe led by Julius Buwemba, said today June 21, 2025, that most of their candidates and key supporters were arrested and caged a night before the youth elections.
According to the opposition, they claim Police together with the army sparked off panic during youth elections across numerous polling stations in Entebbe and Katabi Town Council.
They add that the youth elections was characterized by threats, violence, and reports of irregularities. And that as a result, a number of youths boycotted the polls citing fear of being beaten up.
At several polling stations in Katabi Town Council, presiding officers didn’t show up. In a few locations where presiding officers arrived early, voting ended at 11a.m leaving many voters frustrated and disenfranchised.
At Abaita polling station, Jimmy Jemba, a youth aspirant from the National Unity Platform (NUP), conducted his own vote counting with the help of supporters and was ceremoniously sworn in by them, drawing jubilant celebrations from his supporters.
In areas like Banga/Nakiwogo, Bugonga, and Kigungu, security forces reportedly outnumbered the voters. Worse still, students from Entebbe Comprehensive Secondary School were allegedly allowed to vote despite not being on the official register.
NUP supporters were allegedly barred from entering some polling stations entirely.
Councilor Nyakana and Kasozi Kiweeru were sighted attacking the presiding officer, after the NUP people found them with external hardcopy of the register.
Community leaders, including Abaita Ababiri LC 1 Chairman Sebowa Abbey of Abaita Ababiri, have tasked the Electoral Commission to reorganize the elections, citing widespread misconduct and the failure of many polling stations to operate.
The situation worsened in villages of Bendegere and Banga after the UPDF allegedly took over the election process completely, preventing known political party affiliates from voting. Youth attempting to record the incidents were warned or stopped by armed personnel.
Witnesses at the scene reported severe beatings for anyone who protested or voiced concerns, leaving the youth community in shock and demanding accountability for what many described as a stolen election.
