from HASSAN ONYANGO in Kampala, Uganda
Uganda Bureau
KAMPALA, (CAJ News) – UGANDAN military and police have placed the main opposition leader, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, and his wife under house arrest, inflaming an already fragile situation in Uganda, post-elections.
His National Unity Platform (NUP) reported on Thursday evening that Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, had his property surrounded by the uniformed forces.
“Security officers have unlawfully jumped over the perimeter fence and are now erecting tents within his compound,” the party said.
This adds further doubts to the credibility of the elections held on Thursday.
Earlier, Wine alleged the abduction of polling agents and leaders of his party.
“The regime’s military and police are directly involved in repressing our agents at polling stations. On top of abductions, the regime forces are targeting our leaders across the country,” he said.
He cast his vote in his home community of Magere, Wakiso district in central Uganda.
The opposition leader said among those abducted were NUP Deputy President for the West, Jolly Jacklyn Tukamushaba.
The Human Rights Defenders also reported some abductions of opposition agents, as a tactic to stop them collecting final election results.
Wine said several incidents of ballot stuffing have been recorded.
Some stations, including in Kampala, failed to open at 07h00. Others reported delays of over 4 hours due to late delivery of material.
The situation in Kampala was tense early in the evening but there are indications Ugandans could take to the streets if they deemed the election rigged.
There has been a heavy police and military presence in the capital and other major towns.
Meanwhile, even the incumbent, Yoweri Museveni, was not spared the glitches that characterised the elections portrays the gloom around the latest controversial poll in Uganda.
He saw firsthand the chaos.
Counting is ongoing after the polls were held on Thursday, with polling marred by failure by biometric verification machines, delays in opening of voting stations, allegations of abduction of opposition polling agents and leaders of the main opposition by the military.
Seeking a seventh term, Museveni cast his vote at a polling unit located in his native Rwakitura Village in the western district of Uganda.
He encountered technical issues with the biometric voter verification machine, which failed to recognise his thumbprint.
Resultantly, he was forced to rely on manual verification to cast his vote.
A frustrated Museveni even questioned if it was a ploy by the Electoral Commission (EC) to manipulate the exercise.
“I don’t know if this was an oversight or part of the manipulation,” he addressed the media after voting.
“But we shall study even all the other factors. We are following it,” the incumbent added.
These glitches were reported countrywide.
More than 21 million Ugandans were registered to vote. A result is expected within 48 hours of election day.
Besides the irregularities reported on election day, on the eve of the poll, the government ordered some human rights organisations to close and imposed an internet shutdown.
– CAJ News