By KT Reporter
Youths struggling to earn a living in Pakwach Town Council have started to forcefully demand money from politicians during the ongoing campaign period.
The situation escalated on Friday, 12 December when a 20-year-old, Savior Mungudit, was arrested after a group mounted a roadblock along the Pakwach Market lanes, attempting to stop the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer for the Pakwach District Woman Member of Parliament race, Avur Jane Pachutho, who was reportedly heading to her next campaign stop in Puvungu.
According to Harry Oparcan, a campaign agent for the candidate, the group involved was made up of youths engaged in operating grinding mills, Karaoke dancers, and parts of Pakwach Young Stars football club’s morale boosters.
Alfred Anywar, the LC One Chairperson of Kakawoi ‘A’ Cell, where the incident occurred, says he has repeatedly raised youths’ concerns in council meetings, calling for coordinated efforts to manage the youths in the area, but failed.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Muswa, the NRM Chairperson for Pakwach Town Council, has appealed to youth across the district to engage in productive activities that can improve their livelihoods, instead of taking advantage of the campaign period to disrupt political processes.
In response to the unease, Avur Jane Pachutho, a three-time Woman Member of Parliament candidate, cautioned youths against engaging in actions that violate electoral laws. She emphasized that the arrested individual will face legal procedures, noting that campaigns should be conducted peacefully and lawfully.
Jane Ngamita, the mother of the suspect, denied the accusations against her son, who was wearing a Yellow t-shirt bearing a photo of Yoweri Museveni, stating that the persons who threw objects at the candidate’s teams had taken off.
Section 42 of Parliamentary Elections Act clause (e) indicates that any person who before or during an election for the purpose of effecting or preventing the election of a candidate either directly or indirectly in any manner threatens any candidate or voter with injury or harm of any kind commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding seventy two currency points (Ushs: 1,440,000) or imprisonment not exceeding three years or both.
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