By KT Reporter
Police were heavily deployed across Lira City on Monday as Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party president Jimmy Akena escorted his wife, Gender Minister Betty Amongi Akena, to re-mount her campaign posters and banners.
The couple was blocked from accessing the bus park but was allowed to put up posters around the main market as they walked towards the senior quarters, their home. On Sunday morning, almost all of Amongi’s campaign posters for the Lira City Woman MP seat were removed and dumped at the Lira City Works Department yard.
The posters were taken down ahead of President Yoweri Museveni’s meeting with leaders from Lango sub-region over the contentious cattle compensation program. Amongi accused her rival, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocer, of working with security operatives under the directive of Lira Resident City Commissioner Lawrence Egole to destroy her campaign materials. After the incident, Amongi, accompanied by her husband, took to the streets to put back the posters.
Amongi said Dr. Aceng was acting irrationally out of fear of losing the election, adding that she had already paid advertisement fees for her posters to be displayed in the city.
When contacted, Dr. Aceng declined to comment on the matter. UPC party president Jimmy James Michael Akena described the removal of posters as political sabotage, inconsistent with democratic principles.
Lira City Mayor Sam Atul, who was also linked to the incident, distanced himself from it.
Atul further emphasized the need for clear regulations on the display of campaign posters within the city.
The couple later filed a complaint at Lira Central Police Station. However, North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema said the matter could not be investigated since the Electoral Commission had not yet nominated any candidates. He cited Section 82 (2) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, which only criminalizes the destruction of posters belonging to duly nominated candidates.
In response, Akena insisted the case amounts to malicious damage, which he vowed to pursue.
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