A woman identified as Florence Maganda was hit by a stray bullet as police and army personnel opened fire to disperse crowds who were matching to Bugiri Central police station to demand the declaration of the results in the woman MP NRM primaries.
Maganda was selling pancakes by the roadside when the bullet hit her, she died on her way to the hospital.
Trouble started when voters accused presiding officers of declaring incumbent Agnes Taka Wejuli as the winner, instead of Hadija Babi who according to voters, won the elections.
Babi was earlier embroiled in a tussle with EC officials and tore Declaration Forms which she claimed had been filled as a result of bribes from her competitor whom she accused of using her friendship with NRM Secretary General Justine Lumumba to influence the results.
With the EC officials stuck on the process, police took over NRM and transferred all electoral materials to Bugiri police station in preparation for the declaration of the winner.
According to Bugiri DPC Jeff Sebuyungo, they had to use tear gas to disperse voters before the matter got out of hand.
“Residents were pelting security officers with stones, it might have prompted one of the officers to open fire,” Ssebuyungo said.
An angry voter expressed that Babi won the election but the police want to impose Taka on them.
“We voted for Hadija (Babi) and we shall continue voting her, if the vote is rigged then let them rig but we shall vote Hadija,” the voter claimed.
“We have been beaten for wanting our candidate. Let them kill us and finish us, but our choice must be respected,” another voter claimed.
Kakaire Abas, another voter said he was disappointed that the army got involved yet the people chose a candidate of their choice.
“Why are they shooting a woman who is doing her own business. We all know whom we voted and that is our choice,” Abas said.
