By The Uganda Police Force has announced the deployment of nine senior officers across the parishes of Kawempe North constituency on Thursday, March 13, 2025, as part of efforts to ensure a peaceful electoral process.
The decision comes amid rising concerns over alleged torture and violence against opposition supporters during the ongoing Kawempe North by-election campaigns.
According to police spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke, the officers selected for this deployment are divisional police commanders from Kampala Metropolitan, chosen based on their experience in handling election-related violence.
“These officers are divisional police commanders within Kampala Metropolitan. They have enough experience on election violence, and they can be able to detect and handle any chaos that may arise from the population during Election Day,” Rusoke stated.
The officers will work alongside joint security forces already stationed in the constituency to ensure stability. However, the decision has sparked concerns among opposition supporters, many of whom have been victims of brutality and intimidation by security operatives throughout the campaign period.
Opposition lawyer Mr. Samuel Muyizzi, who represents the National Unity Platform (NUP), condemned the violent crackdown on opposition members and revealed that legal proceedings would soon be initiated against the Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force (JATT) and the Attorney General.
“Now that we have these victims out, we are going to use medical reports, and thus this is going to be a classical case. We believe the chief justice will leave justice to prevail, that such torture and arrest cases don’t happen again because we know their motives to intimidate people,” Muyizzi said.
In response to the escalating tensions, the Electoral Commission recently held a high-level meeting with AIGP Frank Mwesigwa, the Director of Police Operations Service, to strategize on how to maintain order throughout the electoral process.
The discussions centered on enforcing electoral laws and guidelines, preventing violent confrontations, and ensuring that all political actors exercise maximum restraint.
Mwesigwa reassured the Commission of security’s commitment to a peaceful election, pledging to prevent any disruptions at campaign events, polling stations, and tally centers.
The police also urged the Electoral Commission to engage political actors on the importance of adhering to campaign guidelines to avoid unnecessary confrontations.
Kawempe North constituency, which consists of nine parishes and 197 polling stations, is one of the most densely populated areas in Kampala, with a majority of its residents living in informal settlements.
The seat was declared vacant following the death of former MP Muhammad Ssegirinya in January 2025. The by-election has since attracted intense political interest, with both the ruling party and opposition mobilizing heavily in the constituency.
As the election date approaches, all eyes remain on the security forces and electoral officials to ensure that the voting process is conducted freely and fairly, without intimidation or violence.
