The government must take full political responsibility for the violence that marred the Kawempe North by-election, Democratic Party (DP) candidate Henry Kasacca has said.
Mr Kasacca, who secured just 100 votes in the March 13 poll, condemned the actions of security forces and accused authorities of undermining the democratic process.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Kasacca described the violence as "regrettable" and insisted that accountability should go beyond blaming security agencies.
"The minister of internal affairs, the minister for security, and the president must take full responsibility," he said.
"There should be no lamentation. This violence cannot simply be blamed on JAT [Joint Anti-Terrorism Taskforce], the police, or the army—there is a political figure responsible for them."
The by-election, held on March 13, 2025, triggered by the death of former MP Muhammad Ssegirinya, was won by National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola with 17,764 votes, while NRM’s Faridah Nambi finished second with 8,593 votes.
Kasacca, who secured just 100 votes, also questioned the Electoral Commission’s (EC) handling of the election, particularly its decision to declare results before all polling stations had reported.
The by-election was marred by significant violence, particularly targeting journalists covering the event. Security forces, including those in Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) uniforms and plain clothes, assaulted several reporters, leading to severe injuries and hospitalizations.
Mr Kasacca expressed concern over the destruction of polling materials and accused the EC of failing to ensure transparency.
"Why did they place many polling stations in one centre? Was it a deliberate plan to exclude those results?" the DP politician asked.
He argued that the EC should have either postponed the declaration or organised another election for the affected polling stations.
The DP candidate said the by-election had reinvigorated the party, uniting its members and proving that DP remains a viable political force.
He insisted that his party has the potential to offer a real alternative to Ugandans and criticised government ministers for what he called "dishonest" attempts to blame NUP for election chaos.
"NUP has no capacity to summon the police, JAT, or any other security agency. All they can do is raise a complaint," he said.
He urged government officials to be fair, arguing that security forces should not act as political enforcers.
"Ugandans never elected the police or JAT. They elected President Museveni. Putting the blame on NUP is not right," he added.
Kasacca called on the EC to take full charge of elections and act as an independent referee rather than remaining silent in the face of irregularities.
"Their silence is loud," he said.