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

(13) Throughout the two remaining weeks to the election, the same people went around directing people to turn up and vote for Museveni and that if they did not, their homes would be burnt.


(14) On the day of elections, PPU soldiers were deployed throughout our village and neighbouring ones and at Gomborora Headquarters. The night of elections some soldiers were distributed at homes of some known supporters of Dr. Besigye such as James Musinguzi and Byaruhanga Benon. I found them there that night.



(17) At Kifunjo Polling station I found the presiding officer Mr. Korutokye personally ticking for candidate Museveni on the ballot papers before handing them to voters. We were counting 500 votes being ticked before we lost count and gave up. At Katojo, I found the same practice. At Kashojwa, Mwebesa Micheal was doing the same. When Kazahura came to vote, he found his ballot paper already ticked, but he insisted on ticking his own ballot paper which eventually they gave and he ticked it himself.

(22) A day after elections, Mugisha a councilor met me in presence of MP Kinyatta and the RDC and introduced me to them as the rebel who was trying to over throw them so as to become RDC in Besigye’s government.”

Affidavit of Bashaija Richard of Rukungiri township stated in his affidavit sworn on 20th March, 2001 as follows:

(1) That I am an adult Ugandan citizen.

(2) That I was registered voter in the Presidential Election at Butagasi polling station. I was also a co-ordinator on Dr. Besigye District Task Force.


(3) That on 27^th January 2001 we were holding our candidate’s meeting at Keijanga, Kirima. At 3:00 pm about 4 police men from Rukungiri came to the venue of the meeting and arrested us saying our meeting was illegal.They rounded us up At Rukungiri police station for 3 days and we were released on police bond. When we later reported back to honour the bond, they tore the bond papers and told us the case was closed.

4. 
   On the 201h February 2001 at Kanungu where we were coming from checking on our agents one Owembabazi and I were arrested by the GISO of Kirima who had set up a road block. We were beaten up, thrown on a pickup truck and taken to Karengye where I was thrown in a pit and buried under soil/mud leaving only the head in the open. After they had left, Owembabazi rescued me.
   
5. 
   As I was trying to go to Rukungiri to report the incident the same day police fired tear gas at me preventing me from doing so.
   
6. 
   A day later, the GISO and police demanded that I take them to the scene. We found there the owner of the land in which 1 had been buried and he corroborated my statement to that effect. They told me to report to the police the next day, but when I did, I was locked up for 3 days. Taken to count and charged with leading a demonstration. I was released on bail.
   
7. 
   That on 2^nd March 2001 as we were waiting for Dr. Besigye in-front of our District Campaign Office, PPU soldiers attacked us and beat us up, dispersing us and preventing us from meeting our candidate. That evening, the PPU soldiers found me in Ifumo hotel, attested me and dragged me to the streets, removed my shoes, kicked me for about 30 minutes and then released me.
   
8. 
   That on 3 March 2001, as we were arranging to hold a rally with our candidate, I found Capt. Ndahura of PPU in Hotel Holiday. He called me to his table, pulled out his pistol held it to my head and warned me he would shoot me if anything happened to PPU personnel in Rukungiri. The same day after Besigye’s rally, the PPU soldiers went on rampage in the town shooting many bullets in the air and at our supporters and killing one Beronda in the precis. We had not provoked them in any way. We had not breached the peace nor were we demonstrating but were just walking back from the venue of our candidates’ rally.
   
9. 
   From then on, the PPU soldiers started actively looking for me and I went into hiding till the morning of voting day when I sneaked in and case my vote.
   

(10) That the above are were examples or the kind of harassment my colleagues and on the Besigye campaign team in Rukungiri went through especially from the time the PPU and Senior District Administrators actively started on a deliberate process to prevent any form of support for Dr. Besigye in Rukungiri and Kanungu District.

Dan Okello in support of the petition stated in his affidavit as follows: