Dr. Tanga Odoi the outspoken NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson has publicly condemned police for their excessive force during a National Unity Platform (NUP) campaign in Kawempe.
The incident which unfolded in Kawempe saw security forces (JATT) unleashing violence on opposition supporters and journalists during Elias Nalukoola’s campaign.
He expressed distress over the assault on journalists and opposition figures accusing security forces of orchestrating a suppression, the political climate has descended into chaos.
Dr. Tanga Odoi in a series of explosive statements suggested that the police’s brutality in Kawempe may have actually worked against the ruling party’s candidate rather than helping them.
“I watched the scenes in Kawempe and I told my friends that I think the police were campaigning for the opposition. I think the police on that day went to Kawempe to decampaign our NRM candidate.”
Odoi’s shock and frustration stem from what he sees as an unnecessary show of force which tarnished NRM’s image rather than suppressing the opposition.
In a rare moment of agreement with opposition of the government, he openly questioned the integrity of the police force and called for accountability.
“The head of police must be held accountable for what happened in Kawempe.”
President Museveni known for his strong defense of security forces reportedly expressed pain and frustration over the attack on journalists covering the Kawempe campaign.
The targeting of journalists in Uganda has long been a stain on the country’s press freedom record but rarely has such an incident received such a sharp rebuke from high-ranking members of the ruling party itself.
While police brutality dominated headlines, Hon. Richard Lumu shifted the conversation criticizing the opposition’s internal divisions.
According to him, the opposition in Uganda is more hostile toward itself than toward NRM.
“There is no way we would have even campaigned as the opposition if we had been united in Kawempe. We would have nominated our candidate and sat.”
His remarks reflect a growing frustration within opposition circles as infighting and lack of strategic coordination continue to weaken their ability to challenge NRM’s dominance.
The events in Kawempe are a miner of a much larger issue that is increasingly unchecked, the use of force by security agencies, the growing discontent within NRM itself and the opposition’s struggle to unite.
