Voting for youth leadership positions in Mukono Municipality took a violent turn on Wednesday after clashes broke out at a polling station following the early defeat of ruling party candidates, raising fresh questions about the conduct of grassroots elections.
Witnesses say the disorder began shortly after a group of masked men, alleged to be bouncers linked to the district leadership of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), descended on the polling venue.
The men reportedly confronted and assaulted supporters of the National Unity Platform (NUP) as vote counting began to show the opposition in the lead.
According to opposition agents and observers at the scene, the group appeared earlier in the day after an alleged mobilisation meeting involving hundreds of youths believed to have been encouraged to vote for NRM-backed candidates.
Many of the men reportedly concealed their identities, heightening fear among voters and election officials.
Concerns first emerged when groups of youths, allegedly transported from areas around Collin Hotel, joined the voting queue. This prompted protests from agents who questioned their eligibility.
Electoral officials later identified and removed several individuals suspected of carrying forged voter slips, triggering heated confrontations at the polling station.
As presiding officers attempted to enforce order, the situation escalated when the masked men allegedly intervened, seeking to force the voting process in favour of their preferred candidates.
Police were eventually deployed to disperse the group and secure the polling area, allowing voting to continue under heavy security.
Throughout the day, allegations of voter bribery also surfaced. Observers claim some voters were instructed to photograph their marked ballot papers using mobile phones and later present the images to party handlers in exchange for Shs50,000, an act that openly violated electoral guidelines.
The tension intensified during the tallying of votes for the Male Youth Councillor seat. NUP candidate Kato Muluutu was declared winner with 270 votes, narrowly defeating NRM’s Brian Ssentongo, who secured 239 votes. Independent contender Marvin Ssaava trailed with 11 votes.
Following the announcement, another confrontation erupted when a group of youths allegedly attempted to interfere with the ballot box for the Female Youth Councillor race, reportedly aiming to invalidate the process.
Police officers stationed at the venue intervened promptly, preventing tampering and ensuring the continuation of counting.
The final results saw NUP’s Margret Nattabi win the Female Youth Councillor position with 290 votes, ahead of NRM’s Olivia Nakibuule who polled 229 votes.
However, the declaration of results sparked renewed unrest. Stones were reportedly hurled at police officers, and attempts were made to seize declaration of results (DR) forms.
There were also allegations that the Electoral Commission vehicle was briefly blocked in an effort to delay the transfer of results, before police cleared the area.
By the time calm was restored, several NUP supporters were reported injured. The successful candidates had already been escorted from the venue to Electoral Commission offices to formally receive their documentation.
Simon Peter Mwebe, one of the election supervisors, accused the NRM district leadership of orchestrating intimidation to disrupt the process and undermine opposition agents.
“They came with bouncers who overwhelmed us. Fake voter slips were circulating, and when we raised concerns with presiding officers, we were instead chased away,” Mwebe said.
Another agent, Mujjumba, said he was forced to abandon his supervisory role after persistently questioning what he described as irregular conduct during voting.
Independent candidate Marvin Ssaava also accused district leaders of recruiting unregistered youths to destabilise the election.
“Some of these people were not on the register and did not have voter slips. They were brought in to cause confusion,” Ssaava said.
Efforts to obtain a response from the accused district chairperson were unsuccessful, as he declined to comment on the allegations and the violence linked to the election.
The events in Mukono have reignited debate about the integrity of youth elections, with observers warning that violence, bribery and intimidation threaten to erode public confidence in democratic processes meant to empower young leaders at the grassroots.
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