The Bukedea Resident District Commissioner- RDC, William Wilberforce Tukei, and the District Police Commander- DPC, Charles Okoto have been arrested in connection to the controversial Bukedea LC V by-election.
The two were arrested by State House Anti-Corruption Unit officials at their offices on Monday afternoon and transferred to Kampala.
They are on the spot for neglecting to act on various irregularities and violence meted on some candidates, polling agents, journalists, and voters during the by election held in June 2023 .The by-election also had pockets of ballot stuffing, intimidation, and robberies.
One of the aspirants who failed to participate in the polls, David Stephen Omagor was attacked twice and robbed over 200 Million shillings and the nomination documents. He was attacked before police officers and electoral commission officials.
According to the Anti Corruption officials, the RDC failed to execute his an oversight mandate as a security head of the district.
The State House Anti-Corruption Unit together with the Police have since arrested at least eight people including;
Alex Enguloit, the Bukedea Town Council LC V councilor, Dan Malinga, and police constables Onesmus Akankwasa, Oriokot Simon Peter, Kamakoin Difas, and Born Naibei.
These arrests follow a directive by the President to the Anti Corruption Unit, to investigate highhandedness and gross irregularities that marred the elections. In a letter dated June 26, 2023 and addressed to Brig. Henry Musoke the State House Anti Corruption head. The president orders an investigation into the by-elections, citing electoral violence.
“I am now getting information that on the night of the election government officials invaded the house of Omagor, confiscated his academic papers and stole 263 million shillings from him so that he would not be nominated the following morning. This sounds like a film. If any crime was committed take action and report back” the letter reads in part
Mary Akol, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party candidate emerged as the winner of the Bukedea LCV Chairperson race. Akol secured victory with 79,692 votes, NRM-leaning candidate, Lokwiisk Tychicus Ebukalim came second with 4,942 votes, while the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate, Sam Oita Odeke, finished last with 2,343 votes.
During the election the FDC party withdrew their candidate from the race citing alleged election malpractices like ballot stuffing, intimidation, and violence.