Outgoing Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi has denied leading an attack on police. He instead accuses security forces of storming his home. He claims they shot and killed several of his supporters gathered there after the polls.
Kivumbi spoke to journalists at his Bugoye village residence in Butambala District. He rejected allegations he mobilized supporters to attack officers with machetes. He stated the violence stemmed from a security operation at his home that left about ten people dead.
He described the accusations as false and malicious. He argued they were intended to justify a brutal crackdown on his supporters.
“Apart from blocking me from campaigning and arresting my supporters, they were not satisfied,” Kivumbi said. “They later decided to come to my home and attack people who had gathered peacefully after the election.”
He explained that his supporters assembled after preliminary results indicated he had won the parliamentary race. They were preparing to go to the district headquarters for the official declaration.
Kivumbi lost his seat to independent candidate Eriasa Mukiibi in the January 15 polls.
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According to Kivumbi, armed men in military and police uniforms surrounded his home late at night. Others were in civilian clothing. They began firing shots.
“They first fired bullets in the air, which caused panic. People scattered in all directions, and many ran into my garage for safety,” he said.
He alleged security personnel then opened fire directly at those seeking refuge.
“That is where they started shooting at them. About ten people were killed from there,” Kivumbi stated.
Kivumbi said he survived by hiding in a room. He believes the security personnel were targeting him personally.
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“Their mission was either to get my declaration forms or to arrest or eliminate me,” he alleged.
He questioned statements from police and President Museveni accusing him of attacking security installations. He said these claims do not reflect what happened.
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“I was shocked to hear them say I attacked police with machetes. There is no police station in this village. Is my home now a police station?” Kivumbi asked.
He called for an independent investigation. He claims to have CCTV footage showing security personnel firing at his gate and later searching for bodies.
“I have camera recordings clearly showing security operatives shooting and later looking for bodies,” he said.
Kivumbi said the deaths have overshadowed the election’s political outcome.
“Winning the election is no longer important to me. What matters is that innocent people lost their lives in my home,” he said. He added that he plans to pursue legal action to hold those responsible accountable.
He also expressed living in fear following the incident. He claimed he could be arrested or abducted at any time based on what he called fabricated allegations.
“I know they can pick me up at any moment, but I will not go into hiding because I have not committed any crime,” he said.
Police and security agencies previously stated their intervention was prompted by an attempted attack on a police station and tally center. Kivumbi strongly denies these claims, setting the stage for competing accounts of a deadly election-related incident.
