Bugiri, Uganda | URN | A woman has been shot dead during a procession by voters protesting the delayed release of results from the NRM primaries for Bugiri Woman Member of Parliament.
Florence Muganda was hit by a stray bullet while selling pancakes by the roadside when a combined security of the army and police opened fire to disperse a group of voters who were matching to Bugiri Central police station to demand the declaration of the results.
Muganda breathed her last while being rushed to Jinja regional referral hospital for treatment. According to our reporter, the voters decided to storm the police station after Bugiri District NRM party registrar to declare a winner between the incumbent, Agnes Taka Wejuli and Hadija Babi.
Trouble is said to have started at the tally centre after Babi accused presiding officers of pocketing bribes from her rival to doctor the results in her favour.
Babi, who was shouting at the top of her voice tore declaration of results forms, which were being prepared by the NRM registrars forcing police to take over the tally centre and transfer all electoral materials to Bugiri police station in preparation for the declaration of the winner.
According to Babi, there was massive rigging of votes in Buluguyi, Kapyanga sub-counties and Namayemba town council.
“I cannot accept this election because the figures on some of the declaration forms were altered,” she said.
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Bugiri district police commander, Jeff Sebuyungo, says they decided to use teargas to disperse the voters because they were targeting some candidates. He says the residents started pelting security officers at the district headquarters with stones, prompting one of the soldiers to open fire.
“I want to call upon the people of Bugiri to remain calm because it was not our intention to shoot this woman but the locals were throwing stones towards security officers and we were forced to disperse them,” he said.
The deceased’s body is lying at Bugiri general hospital mortuary pending a postmortem.
