Allegations of violence, intimidation, and electoral malpractice have marred the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primary elections in Rushere Town Council, Nyabushozi, with one candidate vowing to quit the party and contest as an independent.
Following the primaries, several aspirants reported incidents of brutality and intimidation allegedly orchestrated by security operatives acting in the interests of rival candidates.
Some aspirants say they and their supporters sustained injuries in the violence.
In Rushere Town Council, Amos Matsiko, a candidate for the LC3 seat, accused the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) of overseeing irregularities and voter intimidation.
“The process was marred by intimidation and violence including over three military trucks that came from Ruhengyere barracks and got involved in our elections. We even witnessed those retired Generals who intimidated our people,” Matsiko said.
He warned that if justice is not served, he would leave the NRM and run as an independent.
A video recorded on August 14 shows unidentified men, under the watch of security operatives, ordering the beating of Matsiko and his supporters.
Matsiko claimed the primaries were compromised when a polling station was relocated to a private residence, triggering his call for an inquiry. He alleged that this led to further attacks on him and his team.
“We were brutalized, and many of my team sustained injuries,” he said. “My rival was declared the winner despite this intimidation, and votes from my village were not even counted.”
He further accused unnamed officials of colluding with security personnel to suppress his support base on sectarian grounds.
By press time, efforts to obtain a response from the UPDF regarding the allegations had been unsuccessful.
The incidents in Rushere highlight wider concerns about electoral integrity in the NRM primaries, with several aspirants demanding transparency and intervention from party leadership, including President Yoweri Museveni.
Matsiko’s threat to run as an independent underscores growing discontent among candidates who feel betrayed by the ruling party’s internal electoral process.