At least 12 people have been confirmed dead and dozens more injured following violent clashes between security forces and opposition supporters across central Uganda and parts of Kampala in the aftermath of the just-concluded general elections.
The violence erupted on election day, Thursday, January 16, as tensions flared at polling and vote-counting centres, with supporters disputing results and confronting security personnel. Several families have since been left mourning loved ones amid the unrest.
Butambala District emerged as the epicentre of the violence, where seven people suspected to be supporters of incumbent legislator Muhammed Muwanga Kivumbi, a close ally of opposition leader Bobi Wine, were allegedly shot dead by security forces.
Regional Police Commander Lydia Katushabe confirmed the fatalities, saying the clashes followed repeated attempts by supporters to storm vote-counting centres.
“They came with a jerrycan of fuel, sprinkled it in the office and set it on fire. It happened so fast that we could not stop them,” Katushabe said.
However, Kivumbi, who lost the Butambala County parliamentary seat to independent candidate Erias Mukiibi, strongly denied the allegations, distancing his supporters from the reported acts of violence.
Three additional people sustained gunshot wounds during the Butambala clashes, while police said at least 25 suspects were arrested for allegedly assaulting security officers.
Elsewhere, five more deaths were reported in separate election-related incidents in Luweero and Kalungu districts on Thursday, further underscoring the scale of the unrest.
In Kampala, chaos erupted in Makindye Division on Friday morning as protesters blocked major roads with logs and debris before setting them on fire. Deputy Kampala police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said security forces were deployed overnight to restore calm.
“Our teams are on the ground addressing the disturbance. I cannot give a full assessment now because the operation is still ongoing,” Owoyesigyire said.
Violence was also reported in Kayunga District, where supporters of National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Harriet Nakuwadde protested results showing National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Jackline Birungi in the lead. The demonstrations turned destructive after protesters attacked and torched NRM district offices, making away with more than Ush5 million (about sh500,000) meant for party agents.
Separately, reports emerged of armed men dressed in military uniforms raiding polling stations along Entebbe Road, firing shots and fleeing with ballot boxes, raising further concerns over the credibility of the electoral process.
Provisional presidential results released by the Uganda Electoral Commission on Friday showed incumbent President Yoweri Museveni leading with 61.7 per cent of the vote, while opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi had garnered 33.6 per cent, based on results from the 21.6 million registered voters counted so far.
As vote tallying continues, heavy security remains deployed in affected areas, even as the country grapples with the human cost of the post-election violence and renewed calls for restraint, accountability and justice.
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