President Museveni has directed a "criminal and electoral investigation" into the Kawempe North by-election saying a number of issues didn't move right.
In a statement on Sunday afternoon, the president said the investigation has already kicked off.
"The following allegations have come up: ballot papers stuffing, altering results, destroying ballot boxes in Kazo-Angola, Mbogo Mosque zone, etc., because, apparently, some people did not want those votes to be counted, campaigning at the polling stations, intimidation, violence, etc," Museveni said.
"The heavy deployment of security forces may have stopped mass violence, but it could not stop these micro crimes that should have been managed by the election officials. Some People really miscalculate. To think that you can commit such crimes against the law and the people when the NRM is in charge of the country is the highest form of shallowness. We shall hold everybody accountable."
National Unity Platform's Elias Nalukoola Luyimbazi was declared winner of the by-election as he beat NRM's Faridah Nambi, his main opponent.
The election also saw violence, orchestrated, especially by the UPDF that beat up NUP supporters and journalists who had gone to cover the proceedings on election day.
In his statement, the president said there was intimidation of NRM supporters by the opposition National Unity Platform sympathisers and supporters, adding that there was also ballot stuffing.
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"Those who intimidate NRM supporters must stop and apologize to those you intimidate. Those of the language: "yemwe abatusibyeko NRM", must stop. Respect the Ugandans' choices," he said.
Museveni also commented about the violence meted out against journalists by UPDF soldiers but said an investigation into the same is currently ongoing.
He however defended the deployment of the UPDF during the by-election
"However, the Original question should be: "Why should the UPDF and JATT have to be deployed in crowd management?" Uganda is like an island of peace in the Region. Why? It is because of the UPDF. They have enough work fighting ADF, the cattle-rustlers in Karamoja, Kony in Central African Republic (CAR), al-shabaab in Somalia, etc. There, they shoot to kill. That is why night club goers can dance the whole night in peace. Why, then, do they get diverted to deal with crowds? It is because of the indiscipline of some opposition groups."
"Who organized the Kabaka riots of September 10th-12th 2009? Who organized the 2020 riots of November 18th to 20th where People were killed, NRM women were undressed, Policemen were attacked? Where was the Army in all that? I deployed the commandos on the 20th of November and they crushed the insurrection. Who organized the panga groups in Masaka? Who destroyed the ballot boxes of 50 polling stations out of 197 polling stations in Kawempe North? You have been inviting the NRM to attend to you. We shall do exactly that. The mistakes the soldiers may do could be on account of preparing for those non-lethal roles when they are diverted from their work of fighting on account of indiscipline of some actors. These are the criminal mistakes of the opposition."
