By KT Reporter
Two men are nursing bullet wounds at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital after police fired live ammunition to quell violent clashes that erupted during campaign activities in Butembe Constituency, Jinja District.
The injured have been identified as Asuman Balikowa and Musa Musana. They were initially rushed to Busede Health Centre III before being referred to the emergency ward at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital for further management.
According to one of the emergency medical responders, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to the press, the two victims are responding to treatment, with medical staff expressing about a 70 per cent chance of full recovery.
Eyewitnesses say the violence broke out while Shaban Okumu, a National Resistance Movement (NRM)-leaning independent candidate, was conducting door-to-door campaigns in Kigalagala village, Busede Sub-county.
The situation reportedly remained calm throughout the day but later turned chaotic on Monday evening when Okumu attempted to hold a mini rally at Kigalagala Trading Centre, located about 200 metres from the birthplace of the NRM flag bearer, Jacob Kabondo.
As Okumu prepared to address a crowd estimated at about 600 people, a group of roughly 20 youths, allegedly aligned to Kabondo, began pelting stones at the gathering. The confrontation is said to have lasted for about five minutes, after which members of Okumu’s team reportedly retaliated, leading to fistfights.
The disorder escalated for another 15 minutes before police intervened. Officers initially fired two live rounds into the air in an attempt to disperse the crowd, but the clashes persisted. Some youths allegedly continued throwing stones at the police, prompting officers to fire live ammunition.
Kiira Regional Police Spokesperson James Mubi confirmed that the two men were injured by stray bullets during the incident. He said investigations are ongoing, adding that detectives have been dispatched to the scene to establish the circumstances surrounding the violence and compile a comprehensive report.
The Butembe parliamentary race has attracted six candidates: Maria Natabi of the National Unity Platform (NUP), Jacob Kabondo of the NRM, Kiirya Wanzala of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Hannington Basakana of the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT), as well as independent candidates Shaban Okumu and Charles Kabule.
Campaigns by the other candidates have largely remained peaceful, with most of the reported tensions centred on the rivalry between the camps of Kabondo and Okumu. Both camps have been accused of mobilising rowdy youths, locally referred to as “egali,” who reportedly present themselves as informal security groups tasked with defending the interests of their preferred candidates.
Okumu, who hails from Kakira, alleges that Kabondo has deliberately blocked him from holding campaign activities in Busede, accusing him of mobilising youths to disrupt his meetings. He says this forced him to adopt a door-to-door campaign strategy and restrict public engagements to small evening rallies.
Okumu further described the situation as the main trigger behind repeated clashes between the two camps and called on security agencies to rein in youth gangs that threaten to disrupt lawful electoral activities.
Kabondo, however, has distanced himself from the allegations, maintaining that he does not condone violence and remains committed to peaceful campaigns.
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