Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Ronald Bakaki has sparked public criticism after appearing to justify the killing of two young men who were shot dead during violence that erupted at a Local Council One (LC1) election in Buwenge Town Council.
Bakaki made the remarks in a WhatsApp group after news broke of the death of Fred Kalulu, popularly known as “Shadow of Death,” one of the deceased.
In his message, Bakaki wrote: “This fool brought chaos in the whole town. He decided to beat my uncle, who is a candidate, with his goons almost to death, thinking he would continue causing chaos at other polling stations. God is fair.”
He further alleged that Kalulu had been coordinating groups involved in the violence under the protection of a police officer he identified only as “Osunge.”
The comments have drawn attention as security agencies continue to face questions over the use of live ammunition during the elections.
Kalulu and another man identified only as Ikali were shot during election-related disturbances in Buwenge Town Council on Monday.
Kalulu died at the scene, while Ikali succumbed to his injuries at Jinja Hospital after initially receiving first aid at Buwenge Health Centre III.
Residents said the shooting occurred after a joint deployment of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldiers and police officers responded to unrest at a polling station.
According to witnesses, the violence was triggered by allegations that non-residents had been allowed to participate in the election contrary to Electoral Commission guidelines.
Samson Mubinge, a resident, claimed that some candidates influenced polling officials to permit ineligible voters to cast ballots. He also alleged that two young men attempted to vote using the identities of registered voters who were much older than them, despite objections from residents.
He said tensions escalated when people from neighbouring villages, who had already voted in their own areas, gathered at the polling station to protest the alleged irregularities.
According to Mubinge, security personnel initially fired live rounds into the air to disperse the crowd, but the demonstrators refused to leave, insisting that the alleged electoral malpractice be addressed.
Another resident, Scovia Nabirye, said Kalulu and Ikali were filming the unfolding events when they were shot.
“The situation was chaotic, but our security officers can do better than responding with live ammunition when provoked,” Nabirye said.
She urged security personnel, particularly soldiers deployed for election duties, to exercise restraint and avoid using lethal force against unarmed civilians.
Buwenge Town Council LCIII Chairperson Ibrahim Ozanya also criticised the conduct of the security forces, accusing them of using excessive force during election operations.
Ozanya noted that Buwenge has witnessed several election-related deaths during previous local government, parliamentary and presidential elections, yet few investigations have been conducted to establish accountability.
He said the area’s youthful population has become increasingly vocal in demanding transparency in elections, largely because of greater access to information through social media.
“Instead of resorting to excessive force, intelligence agencies should identify and address the causes of election violence before they escalate,” Ozanya said. “The use of excessive force creates fear and often fuels further confrontation between civilians and security personnel.”
However, Kiira Regional Police spokesperson James Mubi also rejected claims that the deceased were innocent bystanders or social media content creators.
Mubi said the two men were ring leaders in the election violence and were struck by stray bullets as security personnel attempted to restore order.
He said several suspects involved in the violence remain at large and that intelligence teams have been deployed to track them down.
The shooting has renewed concerns over the conduct of security personnel during elections and is likely to intensify calls for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, as well as the remarks made by the Deputy RDC defending the deceased’s killing.
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