Police in Busoga East are investigating the death of 33-year-old Peter Kaluya, who was killed in a fracas that followed National Resistance Movement (NRM) grassroot polls in Mayuge District. Kaluya, a resident of Bulubude Village in Malongo Sub-county, was assaulted by a mob following the electoral process. He succumbed to his injuries en route to the hospital.
His body has been taken to Mayuge Health Centre IV mortuary, awaiting a postmortem. Eyewitnesses who spoke on condition of anonymity recount that Kaluya was brutally attacked by a chaotic gang after he aided the presiding officer to escape from an angry mob.
One eyewitness says chaos erupted after the presiding officer declared Isaac Lwakala as the NRM chairperson for Bulubude Village, a move that angered supporters of his opponent, Khuzaima Wante. According to the eyewitness, supporters of Wante grabbed the declaration forms from the presiding officer, intending to destroy them. This drew the attention of onlookers like Kaluya, who reportedly hired a motorcycle to ferry the presiding officer away from the chaotic scene.
The eyewitness adds that Kaluya’s actions were misinterpreted as sabotage of their plan to dissolve the election results, prompting the mob to turn their anger on him. He was beaten extensively. When the assailants noticed Kaluya was gasping for breath, they fled the scene. Well-wishers attempted to rush him to a medical facility, but he died along the way.
Another resident, who also spoke anonymously, said electoral violence in Malongo Sub-county is fueled by powerful NRM leaders in Mayuge District, who use grassroots mobilizers during general elections. She noted that the NRM party does not facilitate its structures at village level. However, elections have become a do-or-die affair because sitting members of Parliament, aspiring MPs, and LCV chairpersons finance candidates to contest.
When candidates fail, violence is often used to disrupt the process rather than allowing winners to emerge peacefully. She further lamented that unlike in previous times when NRM members held barazas to agree on suitable leaders, the current trend has seen principles abandoned. Some well-funded candidates ferry voters from other villages to influence results. The resident also revealed that the high number of unemployed youths, many affected by drug abuse, are easily lured into election violence.
She said that as little as 1,000 shillings—enough to buy a small bottle of hard liquor—is sufficient to incite them into violence. Meanwhile, the Busoga East police spokesperson, Michael Kafayo, confirmed the incident. He said detectives are working with intelligence personnel to track down suspects before they escape to neighboring island communities.
Kafayo condemned the violence, calling it an act of backwardness that derails the credibility of electoral processes. He further warned that electoral violence is a double-edged sword, resulting in permanent injuries or death for victims, while offenders risk long prison sentences.