How Museveni Rigged The Polls
Although it was long known that Museveni would rig the 2006 elections, nobody guessed the extent of the exercise's brutality. It is, however, already evident that Museveni shall not enjoy any smooth ride. To signify the death of democracy, Kizza Besigye attended a funeral service as a first post election function. Already unrest is reported around the country. Over 400 prisoners including treason suspects have escaped from Arua with another 100 from Lango. Several bombs have exploded around Kampala injuring scores of people including soldiers. A previously unknown group calling itself "KINNO KITWALA OMUNAKKU" has claimed responsibility. Some people suspect it could be the work of the CMI wishing to incriminate Musevenis' political opponents. Already, the police chief General Kale Kaihura has said that all acts of violence shall be blamed on FDC leader Dr Kizza Besigye.
Fears of a national revolt are growing by the hour. Within one hour of the Electoral Commission announcement of Museveni's fake victory, the British High Commissioner to Uganda held a meeting with FDC presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye to request him not to support any uprising. This was apparently in support of British interests but not in support of Uganda's democracy.
The largest foreign investor South Africa is understood to have arranged for Zambian former President Kaunda to strike a deal between Museveni and Besigye. According to security sources, Museveni would immediately drop all outstanding criminal charges including treason against Besigye, provide him with a properly funded office of the leader of opposition, in return for Besigye to concede electoral defeat. By the time of writing this piece, the initiative had not taken off as Dr Besigye had rejected the electoral results pending the verification of signed tallies from districts and other concerns for various electoral irregularities. Many of such irregularities were however, so fundamental that not even Dr Besigye and the FDC would resolve them without breach of their commitment to democratic rule. Museveni so massively rigged the elections that little could be harnessed to render them valid.
Arbitrary deployment of 12,000 Sudanese SPLA mercenaries to brutalise the electorate, removal of 1.4million names from the electoral register, using of underage children to vote for Museveni, arresting and chasing away of FDC election agents, and above all falsifying tallies of election results by Museveni's government officials. There were other acts like jamming of independent broadcasting equipment to muzzle the publicity of genuine results and threats of arrest by the police to media houses, bribery of FDC and other agents to falsify electoral results in favour of Museveni. Some of these acts were not visible to the foreign election observers from the EU, Commonwealth, or even the local observers. The US govt spokesman said the electoral irregularities warranted immediate investigation upon whose outcome the US would issue a statement. Museveni's Key allies and national enemies who deserve to pay for their acts of treason:
Robert Kabushenga, Director of CMI, Media Centre
Dr Kiggundu, Chairman, Electoral Commission
Kale Kaihura, Inspector General of Police
Kutesa, Director of Police CID branch
ROBERT KABUSHENGA decreed the manner and content of electoral results to the Chairman, Electoral Commission. His brief was to stream the flow of electoral results to the public in a manner that would show that Museveni was the clear and unstoppable winner. This would accordingly be achievable by announcing results of the Museveni strong areas that would not attract public or opposition street protests. In case of such protests, police chief KALE KAIHURA's "special constables" commissioned by Museveni at his final rally in Kampala, would swing into immediate action using the 12,000 strong force comprising hired Sudanese SPLA "Anyanya" soldiers. CID chief Kutesa visited the MONITOR and other media houses to warn them against publishing any election results. Kutesa has been gravely tainted for her dubious role in "facilitating" for Museveni's fake witnesses against Dr Kizza Besigye's concocted rape charges. Her work does not include supervising election returns. Just before the elections, Museveni created a new division in the CID of election offences. Kutesa as Director of CID is known to report directly to the President bypassing her boss the Inspector General of Police and even her line minister of internal affairs under whose docket police falls.
Election rigging was nationwide, crude and naked. Besides the Anyanya troops that were disguised as "newly trained special constables", several acts were reported. For instance
In Mityana, FDC polling agents were chased from duty.
In Nakasongola airfield, school children were brought to vote for Museveni.
In Kibale, electoral officers transported ballot boxes filled with ticked Museveni ballot papers long before
voting time.
In Hoima, soldiers went on rampage beating up suspected FDC supporters.
In Wakiso at a place called Bukasa, soldiers chased several agents of opposition parties particularly the
FDC from carrying out their work.
In Sironko district, the results already announced to confirm the victory of FDC candidate Miss Wadada
against NRM candidate minister Beatrice Wabudeya were later arbitrarily reversed in favour of NRM
candidate minister Wabudeya in presence of riot squad that fired several shots to disperse protesters.
This was the pattern across the country although different methods were employed.
WESTERN UGANDA JUDAH ISACARIOTS!
Although, Museveni rigged the elections, other factors also may have proved deadly. The so called "heavyweight" NRM defectors from Western Uganda proved more of a liability than an asset to FDC and Kizza Besigye's presidential candidature. The electorate in Western Uganda were excited that Museveni's closest allies had abandoned him and would provide them with a new leadership under FDC. However, this was not to be for Amanya Mushega, Eriya Kategaya, Maria Matembe and Matthew Rukikaire later refused to officially join FDC or even to pledge support to Kizza Besigye. Their ally in Buganda the political chameleon called Bidandi Ssali even formed a new party that failed to inspire even his own children. From the "Judah Iscariot" group, only Kaijuka offered some support to Kizza Besigye and the FDC. The failed parliamentary bid by Maria Matembe was thus supposedly welcome by many in FDC. It was fitting that Matembe harvested what she sowed. Bidandi Ssali has already embarked on his opportunistic mission by calling on the opposition parties to accept the rigged electoral results and begin planning for the 2011 elections!
The NRM defectors who would have certainly swung the pendulum against Museveni, instead abandoned the electorate to Museveni. None of them deserves to be forgiven. Tribute should be paid to John Kazoora of Kashari and Augustine Ruzindana for their patriotism and selflessness alongside others like Chaapa Karuhanga, Jack Sabiiti and Garuga Musinguzi.
It has now been established that Salim Saleh fed false rumour to Andrew Mwenda of Monitor newspaper to the effect that FDC bosses Mugisha Muntu and Garuga Musinguzi had planned to oust Besigye while he remained on prison remand. This information was circulated widely in Western Uganda to project the FDC leadership as incoherent.
Noticeably another man called Pulkol formerly of ESO also played dirty games in holding secret meetings with Museveni while professing loyalty to the opposition. It was widely believed that Pulkol played a large part in rigging the Karamojong vote for Museveni. Earlier there was a faked shooting incident involving the presidential motorcade and mysterious attackers. This incidence enabled NRM to prevent Besigye from campaigning in Karamoja. However, Pulkol's betrayal of Besigye was overplayed against that of Kategaya, Matembe and Mushega. This was wrong especially when Pulkol was of a different party and his role was largely insignificant. He had also all along been known as a mole in his opposition politics.
The FDC electoral victory in Bugisu, Teso, Lango, Acholi and West Nile should also serve as a rude reminder of the small roles that had been assigned to them as opposed to the heavyweights from Western Uganda who delivered very little. Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt.
NEW DISTRICTS: These played their role as teacakes for those who vote with their stomachs as opposed to their consciences. The leaders of these so called "gombololas" otherwise also called districts galvanised their electorate to vote "wisely" for Museveni against their wishes and interests. This was certainly a serious component of electoral rigging. The pattern of voting establishes the occurrence of this crime that has to be punished.
BUSOGA: The NRM Salim Saleh newspaper called the RED PEPPER published false stories of how Salaamu Musumba had swindled UGS 245million. When these newspapers were circulated freely to the electorate and FDC agents to dupe them that Salaamu had refused to give them any money because she was selfish. When Salim Saleh bribed them into defecting, they believed he had saved them. The same tricks were applied around Busoga, Tororo and Bugisu.
FDC MEDIA STRATEGY: proved totally wanting. FDC should have utilised Wafula Ogutu's skills into publishing a newspaper for the election period. The various media and communication skills of certain volunteers were rendered redundant in preference for the self-aggrandizement of a couple of website co-ordinators who preferred to be hero-worshipped at the expense of electoral campaigning. Spokesman duties were mismatched with skills and capacity. FDC outwitted the NRM and Museveni only in the area of legal techniques where the right people did the right duties. The MONITOR newspaper had all along published faked electoral surveys of a Museveni victory. Such surveys as the Monitor was repeatedly warned, risked being used to legitimatise Museveni's rigged election results as being consistent with "independent" Monitor polls especially so as they were already widely quoted by foreign media bodies. Many of these Agakhan waged employees act as if they were the sources of cleverness. Many have close ties with Salim Saleh and group. Agakhan's is only interested in protecting the rights of Indians in Uganda to milk the economy dry.
THE WAY FORWARD
Uganda has rejected Museveni who has destroyed the economy, social values, political participation, security of the person, rule of law, constitutional freedoms of rule of law, separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.
National resistance against his rule must continue unceasingly. Gallant volunteers should come forward to do for their country what others before them have done. Everyone will be expected to volunteer their skills, resources, contacts, prayers, support and all forms of positive inputs that shall enhance the goals of liberation of our people. We expect there to be instituted a reward system for national heroes either during or after their lifetime. The fate of Uganda is in the hands of its people. It has not been sealed by the temporary setback by Museveni rigging that was expected. Indeed a non-rigged election would have most surprised Museveni's supporters. Museveni had after all stated clearly that he would not hand over power. We are therefore duty bound to continue struggling for our people.
The people of Buganda, Eastern and Northern Uganda should be commended for the cleverly managed polls. They were not guided by petty nationality interests. Baganda could have voted for DP or CP but opted to vote FDC. The Bagisu, Teso, Langi and Acholi could have voted for UPC but opted to support FDC. They should be commended. The Western axis could have voted for FDC but opted to rally behind NRM and Museveni mainly following the betrayal of the FDC by the Judas Iscariot gangsters of Kategaya, Matembe and Mushega. May they find their peace. There is a growing feeling within Uganda that the West might have blown its golden opportunity of providing a nationally popular president under Dr Kizza Besigye. It remains to be seen whether another chance would creep in easily.
I support Radio Katwe's mission to compile facts that have impacted on our country's negative history particularly linked to the Museveni factor. We wish to know facts connected to events like the electoral rigging in 2006 and 2001, the murders of key people like Dr Kayiira, Dr Kiyingi etc.
In struggling for a new national status, Buganda's aspiration shall play a crucial role. I believe that if Buganda wishes formed part of Uganda's national agenda, they would be sustainable and acceptable to the rest of Uganda as national achievement and not sectarian achievements. Buganda's desires cannot and should never have been attempted to emerge as decisions of a single person such as Museveni. Uganda has suffered a shock but not a surprise with the rigged elections. For every cloud, there is a silver lining. Let us not be unduly subdued by Museveni temporary victory. The people shall triumph. The struggle continues.
Smart Musolin
Entebbe (Uganda)
Fears of a national revolt are growing by the hour. Within one hour of the Electoral Commission announcement of Museveni's fake victory, the British High Commissioner to Uganda held a meeting with FDC presidential candidate Dr Kizza Besigye to request him not to support any uprising. This was apparently in support of British interests but not in support of Uganda's democracy.
The largest foreign investor South Africa is understood to have arranged for Zambian former President Kaunda to strike a deal between Museveni and Besigye. According to security sources, Museveni would immediately drop all outstanding criminal charges including treason against Besigye, provide him with a properly funded office of the leader of opposition, in return for Besigye to concede electoral defeat. By the time of writing this piece, the initiative had not taken off as Dr Besigye had rejected the electoral results pending the verification of signed tallies from districts and other concerns for various electoral irregularities. Many of such irregularities were however, so fundamental that not even Dr Besigye and the FDC would resolve them without breach of their commitment to democratic rule. Museveni so massively rigged the elections that little could be harnessed to render them valid.
Arbitrary deployment of 12,000 Sudanese SPLA mercenaries to brutalise the electorate, removal of 1.4million names from the electoral register, using of underage children to vote for Museveni, arresting and chasing away of FDC election agents, and above all falsifying tallies of election results by Museveni's government officials. There were other acts like jamming of independent broadcasting equipment to muzzle the publicity of genuine results and threats of arrest by the police to media houses, bribery of FDC and other agents to falsify electoral results in favour of Museveni. Some of these acts were not visible to the foreign election observers from the EU, Commonwealth, or even the local observers. The US govt spokesman said the electoral irregularities warranted immediate investigation upon whose outcome the US would issue a statement. Museveni's Key allies and national enemies who deserve to pay for their acts of treason:
Robert Kabushenga, Director of CMI, Media Centre
Dr Kiggundu, Chairman, Electoral Commission
Kale Kaihura, Inspector General of Police
Kutesa, Director of Police CID branch
ROBERT KABUSHENGA decreed the manner and content of electoral results to the Chairman, Electoral Commission. His brief was to stream the flow of electoral results to the public in a manner that would show that Museveni was the clear and unstoppable winner. This would accordingly be achievable by announcing results of the Museveni strong areas that would not attract public or opposition street protests. In case of such protests, police chief KALE KAIHURA's "special constables" commissioned by Museveni at his final rally in Kampala, would swing into immediate action using the 12,000 strong force comprising hired Sudanese SPLA "Anyanya" soldiers. CID chief Kutesa visited the MONITOR and other media houses to warn them against publishing any election results. Kutesa has been gravely tainted for her dubious role in "facilitating" for Museveni's fake witnesses against Dr Kizza Besigye's concocted rape charges. Her work does not include supervising election returns. Just before the elections, Museveni created a new division in the CID of election offences. Kutesa as Director of CID is known to report directly to the President bypassing her boss the Inspector General of Police and even her line minister of internal affairs under whose docket police falls.
Election rigging was nationwide, crude and naked. Besides the Anyanya troops that were disguised as "newly trained special constables", several acts were reported. For instance
In Mityana, FDC polling agents were chased from duty.
In Nakasongola airfield, school children were brought to vote for Museveni.
In Kibale, electoral officers transported ballot boxes filled with ticked Museveni ballot papers long before
voting time.
In Hoima, soldiers went on rampage beating up suspected FDC supporters.
In Wakiso at a place called Bukasa, soldiers chased several agents of opposition parties particularly the
FDC from carrying out their work.
In Sironko district, the results already announced to confirm the victory of FDC candidate Miss Wadada
against NRM candidate minister Beatrice Wabudeya were later arbitrarily reversed in favour of NRM
candidate minister Wabudeya in presence of riot squad that fired several shots to disperse protesters.
This was the pattern across the country although different methods were employed.
WESTERN UGANDA JUDAH ISACARIOTS!
Although, Museveni rigged the elections, other factors also may have proved deadly. The so called "heavyweight" NRM defectors from Western Uganda proved more of a liability than an asset to FDC and Kizza Besigye's presidential candidature. The electorate in Western Uganda were excited that Museveni's closest allies had abandoned him and would provide them with a new leadership under FDC. However, this was not to be for Amanya Mushega, Eriya Kategaya, Maria Matembe and Matthew Rukikaire later refused to officially join FDC or even to pledge support to Kizza Besigye. Their ally in Buganda the political chameleon called Bidandi Ssali even formed a new party that failed to inspire even his own children. From the "Judah Iscariot" group, only Kaijuka offered some support to Kizza Besigye and the FDC. The failed parliamentary bid by Maria Matembe was thus supposedly welcome by many in FDC. It was fitting that Matembe harvested what she sowed. Bidandi Ssali has already embarked on his opportunistic mission by calling on the opposition parties to accept the rigged electoral results and begin planning for the 2011 elections!
The NRM defectors who would have certainly swung the pendulum against Museveni, instead abandoned the electorate to Museveni. None of them deserves to be forgiven. Tribute should be paid to John Kazoora of Kashari and Augustine Ruzindana for their patriotism and selflessness alongside others like Chaapa Karuhanga, Jack Sabiiti and Garuga Musinguzi.
It has now been established that Salim Saleh fed false rumour to Andrew Mwenda of Monitor newspaper to the effect that FDC bosses Mugisha Muntu and Garuga Musinguzi had planned to oust Besigye while he remained on prison remand. This information was circulated widely in Western Uganda to project the FDC leadership as incoherent.
Noticeably another man called Pulkol formerly of ESO also played dirty games in holding secret meetings with Museveni while professing loyalty to the opposition. It was widely believed that Pulkol played a large part in rigging the Karamojong vote for Museveni. Earlier there was a faked shooting incident involving the presidential motorcade and mysterious attackers. This incidence enabled NRM to prevent Besigye from campaigning in Karamoja. However, Pulkol's betrayal of Besigye was overplayed against that of Kategaya, Matembe and Mushega. This was wrong especially when Pulkol was of a different party and his role was largely insignificant. He had also all along been known as a mole in his opposition politics.
The FDC electoral victory in Bugisu, Teso, Lango, Acholi and West Nile should also serve as a rude reminder of the small roles that had been assigned to them as opposed to the heavyweights from Western Uganda who delivered very little. Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt.
NEW DISTRICTS: These played their role as teacakes for those who vote with their stomachs as opposed to their consciences. The leaders of these so called "gombololas" otherwise also called districts galvanised their electorate to vote "wisely" for Museveni against their wishes and interests. This was certainly a serious component of electoral rigging. The pattern of voting establishes the occurrence of this crime that has to be punished.
BUSOGA: The NRM Salim Saleh newspaper called the RED PEPPER published false stories of how Salaamu Musumba had swindled UGS 245million. When these newspapers were circulated freely to the electorate and FDC agents to dupe them that Salaamu had refused to give them any money because she was selfish. When Salim Saleh bribed them into defecting, they believed he had saved them. The same tricks were applied around Busoga, Tororo and Bugisu.
FDC MEDIA STRATEGY: proved totally wanting. FDC should have utilised Wafula Ogutu's skills into publishing a newspaper for the election period. The various media and communication skills of certain volunteers were rendered redundant in preference for the self-aggrandizement of a couple of website co-ordinators who preferred to be hero-worshipped at the expense of electoral campaigning. Spokesman duties were mismatched with skills and capacity. FDC outwitted the NRM and Museveni only in the area of legal techniques where the right people did the right duties. The MONITOR newspaper had all along published faked electoral surveys of a Museveni victory. Such surveys as the Monitor was repeatedly warned, risked being used to legitimatise Museveni's rigged election results as being consistent with "independent" Monitor polls especially so as they were already widely quoted by foreign media bodies. Many of these Agakhan waged employees act as if they were the sources of cleverness. Many have close ties with Salim Saleh and group. Agakhan's is only interested in protecting the rights of Indians in Uganda to milk the economy dry.
THE WAY FORWARD
Uganda has rejected Museveni who has destroyed the economy, social values, political participation, security of the person, rule of law, constitutional freedoms of rule of law, separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.
National resistance against his rule must continue unceasingly. Gallant volunteers should come forward to do for their country what others before them have done. Everyone will be expected to volunteer their skills, resources, contacts, prayers, support and all forms of positive inputs that shall enhance the goals of liberation of our people. We expect there to be instituted a reward system for national heroes either during or after their lifetime. The fate of Uganda is in the hands of its people. It has not been sealed by the temporary setback by Museveni rigging that was expected. Indeed a non-rigged election would have most surprised Museveni's supporters. Museveni had after all stated clearly that he would not hand over power. We are therefore duty bound to continue struggling for our people.
The people of Buganda, Eastern and Northern Uganda should be commended for the cleverly managed polls. They were not guided by petty nationality interests. Baganda could have voted for DP or CP but opted to vote FDC. The Bagisu, Teso, Langi and Acholi could have voted for UPC but opted to support FDC. They should be commended. The Western axis could have voted for FDC but opted to rally behind NRM and Museveni mainly following the betrayal of the FDC by the Judas Iscariot gangsters of Kategaya, Matembe and Mushega. May they find their peace. There is a growing feeling within Uganda that the West might have blown its golden opportunity of providing a nationally popular president under Dr Kizza Besigye. It remains to be seen whether another chance would creep in easily.
I support Radio Katwe's mission to compile facts that have impacted on our country's negative history particularly linked to the Museveni factor. We wish to know facts connected to events like the electoral rigging in 2006 and 2001, the murders of key people like Dr Kayiira, Dr Kiyingi etc.
In struggling for a new national status, Buganda's aspiration shall play a crucial role. I believe that if Buganda wishes formed part of Uganda's national agenda, they would be sustainable and acceptable to the rest of Uganda as national achievement and not sectarian achievements. Buganda's desires cannot and should never have been attempted to emerge as decisions of a single person such as Museveni. Uganda has suffered a shock but not a surprise with the rigged elections. For every cloud, there is a silver lining. Let us not be unduly subdued by Museveni temporary victory. The people shall triumph. The struggle continues.
Smart Musolin
Entebbe (Uganda)
posted by Uganda Blogger at 1:27 AM
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