Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi has denied allegations that he mobilised supporters to attack police officers with machetes, saying the violence in the district stemmed from a security operation at his home that left about 10 people dead.
Speaking to journalists at his residence in Bugoye village, Gombe Sub-county, Butambala District, Kivumbi described the accusations against him as false and malicious, arguing that they were intended to justify what he termed a brutal crackdown on his supporters.
"Apart from blocking me from campaigning and arresting my supporters, they were not satisfied. They later decided to come to my home and attack people who had gathered peacefully after the election," Kivumbi said.
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He said his supporters had assembled at his home after preliminary results from polling stations indicated he had won the parliamentary race and were preparing to proceed to the district headquarters for the official declaration of results.
Makumbi lost his parliamentary seat in the January 15 polls to former Sunday Monitor editor Eriasa Mukiibi, who stood as an independent.
According to Kivumbi, the situation escalated when armed men dressed in military and police uniforms, alongside others in civilian clothing, surrounded his home late at night and began firing shots.
"They first fired bullets in the air, which caused panic. People scattered in all directions, and many ran into my garage for safety," he said.
He alleged that security personnel then opened fire directly at those who had sought refuge.
"That is where they started shooting at them. About ten people were killed from there," Kivumbi said.
Kivumbi said he survived by hiding in one of the rooms in his house during the operation and believes the security personnel were targeting him personally.
"Their mission was either to get my declaration forms or to arrest or eliminate me," he alleged.
He questioned statements by police and President Yoweri Museveni accusing him of leading an attack on security installations, saying the claims did not reflect what happened on the ground.
"I was shocked to hear them say I attacked police with machetes. There is no police station in this village. Is my home now a police station?" Kivumbi asked.
Kivumbi called for an independent investigation into the incident, saying he has CCTV footage that he claims shows security personnel firing at his gate at night and later searching for bodies.
"I have camera recordings clearly showing security operatives shooting and later looking for bodies," he said.
He said the deaths had overshadowed any political outcome of the election.
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"Winning the election is no longer important to me. What matters is that innocent people lost their lives in my home," Kivumbi said, adding that he plans to pursue legal action.
"We are going to court to ensure those responsible are held accountable."
Kivumbi also said he is living in fear following the incident, claiming he could be arrested or abducted at any time based on what he described as fabricated allegations.
"I know they can pick me up at any moment, but I will not go into hiding because I have not committed any crime," he said.
The police and other security agencies have previously said their intervention in Butambala was prompted by an attempted attack on a police station and a tally centre, claims that Kivumbi has strongly denied, setting the stage for competing accounts of one of the deadliest election-related incidents in the district.
