Police is to deploy 800 personnel in Kyadondo East in Wakiso district ahead of the tomorrow’s by elections. Frank Mwesigwa, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Commander, says they intend to deploy officers at all the 94 polling stations in the nine parishes that make up Kyadondo East constituency.
“The security is calm, as you can see. We are finalizing our deployment plan,” Mwesigwa told this publication this morning shortly after attending a planning meeting at Kasangati police Station. According to Mwesigwa, they intend to install check points after receiving intelligence that “some people are mobilising goons to destabilize the constituency.”
Mwesigwa says they picked up 10 people during the final campaigns on Tuesday for inciting violence, adding that they are processing their files to arraign them in court. The police chief has appealed to the voters to remain calm, turn up in big numbers and exercise their democratic right to elect a leader of their choice.
Our reporter saw several police patrol moving around the constituency monitoring the situation. He also says several trucks ferrying Police constables to Kasangati police Station. This publication also found leaders of crime preventers at Kasangati Police Station planning how they will assist police tomorrow.
The Kyadondo East MP by-election has attracted six candidates. They include the former MP and former for Democratic Change Party Candidate, Apollo Katinti, NRM’s Sitenda Sebalu, Muwada Nkunyingi, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, both FDC leaning independents, Sowedi Kayongo Male and Edward Kasasa.
The Kyadondo East parliamentary seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the High Court nullifying the victory of Kantinti over non-compliance with electoral laws, disfranchising voters and failing to secure custody of election materials.
The ruling followed a successful petition by NRM candidate Sebalu who lost to Kantinti by a margin of 326 votes in the 2016 parliamentary race.
– URN
