WE DO NOT WANT MUSASIZI ANYMORE! RUBANDA RESIDENTS PROTEST

By Grant Ahumuza

www.knewslink.com

In Rubanda

Hundreds of protesters from Rubanda east County have today Tuesday 29 September, 2020 blocked Kabale -Kisoro road in demonstration over what they described as attempts by the ruling NRM to steal the victory of Jogo Kenneth Biryabarema.

Protesters claimed that NRM electoral commission diverted Jogo’s victory and ruled in favour of Aringanyira Musasizi after delaying to announce the winner in the Rubanda east Member of Parliament Race.

Holding placards and blowing whistles and vuvuzelas, the group said it was wrong for NRM electoral commission chairman Tanga Odoi to delay the outcome of the results of the NRM primaries in the constituency.

The NRM tribunal led by Dr. Tanga Odoi, the NRM electoral commission chairman, announced on Saturday September 15, 2020, that after a vote recount, they will declare winner after two days, which was supposed to be Sunday September 27, 2020 but all in vain.

On September 5^th , according to the results that were announced by an official from national NRM Electoral Commission Gaudioza Kabondo and the Rubanda district NRM party Registrar Aggrey Monday, Musasizi was declared the winner with 23,330 votes, defeating Biryabarema who garnered 22,412 votes.

However, Dr. Tanga on Monday failed to announce the winner after the hearing of petition which happened on Saturday afternoon and this increased suspicious among locals who wondered why the NRM Electoral commission had failed to declare the final winner.

However, the residents of Bubare, Nyamweru Sub-county and Hamuhambo town council who were party of the Tuesday demonstration, said their candidate, Biryabarema was the winner of the primaries and his victory should not be stolen.

Residents also accuses Tanga Odoi of having received a bribe to delay and finally steal Biryabarema’s victory .

The aftermath of the election was overshadowed by an incident where Musasizi was caught on video, appearing on the tally centre conniving with the Rubanda district NRM returning officer Aggrey Monday changing the declaration forms to favour the incumbent Musasizi.

The Rubanda DPC, Tai Ramathan told our reporter that they had to disperse the protestors because they did not seek permission from police to demonstrate.

“We could not allow them to demonstrate because we were not sure of their intentions. Additionally, they did not seek permission for it, so we dispersed them with sticks,” DPC said.