The republic of uganda in the supreme court of uganda at kampala

Activities of RDC’s and Deputy RDC’s related to violence, intimidation, violation, threats, harassment, etc:

In a few Districts, these clearly intimidated, harassed, dispersed meetings of, and arrested, the Petitioner’s supporters. They too, were obviously in favour of election of the 1st Respondent, and against election of the Petitioner. The reason, I think, is not far to see. It is that only by having the 1st Respondent, the incumbent re-elected, would they also hope to remain incumbent in their respective offices. An L.C. Monitor introduced an agent of the Petitioner to an RDC and an M.R as a rebel who wanted overthrows the incumbents in order to become an RDC in the Petitioner’s government.

A few examples may be given. The RDC of Mbale, according to an affidavit based an information was involved in organizing youths to tear down the Petitioner’s posters in Mbale Municipality.

In Rukungiri, the Deputy RDC, accompanied by GISO and PPU soldiers, ordered the removal of the Petitioner’s poster from the front of his campaign office. The same Deputy RDC also moved around Kambuga, Kihihi and Kayonza with PPU soldiers pointing out whom to harass. The Deputy RDC also pointed a gun at a Petitioner’s agent. In Kabale, the RDC with LDU’s, Parish Chiefs and GISO kept the Petitioner’s Task Force under constant harassment, and threatened the Petitioner’s supporters with arrest if they did not abandon his camp.

Activities of GISOs related to violence, intimidation, threats, harassment, etc:

These are Gombolola (Sub-County) Intelligence Officers. A number of them were involved in electoral malpractices or offences. Evidence shows that they, too, were in favour of the 1st Respondent’s election and against the Petitioner’s election. Some of them were involved in intimidation, harassment and arrest of the Petitioner’s supporters. I shall give a few examples.

In Rukungiri, GISO with a Deputy RDC and PPU soldiers pulled down the Petitioner’s posters. In Kambuga, GISO took away a motor cycle belonging to an agent of the Petitioner; and GISO arrested others at a road — block and beat them up, and buried one of them in a pit.
In Kanungu, a GISO with L.C. Councilors and the 1st Respondent’s supporters went round with guns threatening the Petitioner’s supporters.

In Tororo a GISO arrested a Petitioner’s supporter at Kwapa a polling station. In Mayuge a GISO was seen issuing Voters’ Cards.

At a polling station in Sembabule, a GISO arrived with four armed men and ordered people who had voted to go home, and those who refused to be arrested. Two men who disobeyed the order were arrested.

At Matsyono Trading Centre, in Kamwenge a GISO arrested five members of the Petitioner’s campaign team, one of who was detained at Ntara Police Station and later released. A Petitioner’s monitor going to Rwampoboka Polling Station in Kinkizi Sub District, and met GISO on a pickup with about 15 to 20 armed men, was arrested and warned by the GISO that he was undesirable in polling centers in the area and that unless he went back; he was putting his life in danger.

In Kanungu Town, a gang of the 1 Respondent’s supporters, led by a GISO, removed the Petitioner’s posters at a newly opened campaign office and ordered his supporters to close down the office. The following day the office was smeared with human feaces by unknown people. On polling day the same GISO ordered a Presiding Officer at a polling station to tick ballots openly at the first desk, saying that it was an order from the RDC.

Activities of L. C. Officials related to violence, intimidation, threats, harassment, etc:

As credible evidence shows, LCI Chairmen, LC.ll Chairmen and LC.III Chairmen and other L.C. officials intimidated, harassed or arrested supporters of the Petitioner, or voters generally not to vote for the Petitioner but vote for the 1st Respondent. I shall give some examples.

In Rukungiri an LCIII Chairman, threatened to shoot one of the Petitioner’s agents, if he did not close the Petitioner’s District campaign office. When the agent returned the following day, he found that another pad lock had been fixed on the office door. The Petitioner’s Task Force had to give up the office. Early in March 2001, L.C. officials were mobilized by Kabale RDC to violently stop the Petitioner’s supporters to meet at Ryakarimira. In Bufundi, the L.C. Vice Chairman moved from one polling station to another directing polling official not to allow any officials of the Petitioner at polling stations. In Rukungiri, a Chairman and the Treasurer of LCIII of Nyamishanje, with a group of armed men threatened a Petitioner’s agent with arrest. Consequently, the agents found the campaign process difficult to carry on. The L.C.III Treasurer with the PPU denied two of the Petitioner’s campaign agents from Kampala the right to hold a rally. The Petitioner’s supporters went into hiding from 11-03-2001, to 12-03-2001.

At a polling station, the L.C. V Chairman of Kumi asked a polling agent of the Petitioner to leave the polling station. At Amoni Polling Station, the L.C.III Chairman for Kwapa, went to the polling station and ordered everybody there to disappear. When some people resisted, the L.C.Ill Chairman went to his car, picked a gun and fired it in the air. He then got a bundle of ballot papers from his car and stuffed them in the ballot box. After information reached them, the Chairman, L.C. V1 Tororo, and Kwapa LCV Councilor arrived at the polling station. The L.C. officials in question successfully resisted removal of 40 extra ballot papers which were found ticked for the 1st Respondent.

At Nsambya, a Polling Station in Mubende District, an L.C.III Chairman, with security operatives and two UPDF soldiers threatened to arrest anybody who challenged the manner in which ballot papers were being irregularly counted. At Kibuku Trading Centre, Paillisa District, an L.C.II Chairman, a Sub-County Councilor and Sub-County Chief, told the people that if they did not vote for the 1ST Respondent, soldiers, who were also present at the place, would kill them. When the Petitioner’s agents complained they were roughed up by heavily armed LDUs who told them that they were in power with the 1st Respondent, and there was nothing the Petitioner’s supporters could do about it. They should keep quiet.

At Kyevu in Nyamirango Parish, Kabale District, an L.C.I Chairman and other L.C.l officials chased away the Petitioner’s agents from holding a rally. When one of the Petitioner’s agents was returning from his duty trip, he found a road — block, manned by an L.C.l Chairman who arrested and severely beat up the agent and stripped him naked. He was taken to the L.C.II Chairman’s home, where he was tortured to reveal the names of the Petitioner’s agents in the area. The list, other documents and money were removed from him. Later on the way home, they met an L.C. Defence Secretary, who suggested that the agent should be killed and thrown into Lake Bunyonyi. Thereafter, the group was taken to the GISO’s home, and further to the Sub-County Headquarters, where a statement was recorded from him.

Also in Kabale District, L.C. officials constantly harassed the Petitioner’s agents and organized people to throw stones at them, dispersed their rallies, virtually making it impossible for them to campaign in places such as Rubaya and others. The home of the Chairman of the Petitioner’s Task Force of Kambugye was burnt down by UPDF soldiers and L.C. officials, and the Chairman went into hiding.

The Voter’s Cards for the wife of a polling agent for the Petitioner at Kanyegaramire Polling Station, Kamwenge District was confiscated by L.C. officials because they knew that she would vote for the Petitioner. The Chairman, L.C.III for Kahuge, sent for the head of the mobilization team for the Petitioner for Kahuge. When the agent was taken to the L.C.lll Chairman, the latter told them that he was arresting them, because they had abused the Chairman L.C.lll and Hon. Capt. Byaruhanga, M.P

On polling day at Kaburaisoke, the L.C.lll Chairman demanded that agents for the Petitioner should cross to the 1st Respondent’s camp.

In Kampala, an L.C.I Chairman stopped a Petitioner’s agent from preventing Voters’ Cards being issued to known Somali aliens.