IRCU Condemns Escalating Electoral Violence
The Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU) has once again expressed deep concern over recurring episodes of electoral violence during the ongoing presidential, parliamentary, and local government campaigns.
The most recent incident occurred on Saturday, December 6, in Gulu City, where individuals in plain clothes, alongside others dressed in Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and Uganda Police uniforms, were seen assaulting supporters of political opposition parties, particularly those aligned with the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Similar disturbing footage has surfaced from other parts of the country. In Sembabule, for instance, men in plain clothes were recorded beating a man and a woman before forcing them onto a double-cabin pickup vehicle, as men in UPDF uniform looked on without intervening.
IRCU also noted incidents where security forces have deployed sniffer dogs, batons, tear gas, and even live bullets to disperse supporters of certain candidates. Recent clashes in Kawempe, Mukono, Buikwe, and other areas have resulted in multiple injuries, arrests, and the tragic loss of one life in Iganga.
“These acts of violence are unacceptable. They undermine the integrity of the electoral process and erode public trust in institutions mandated to protect citizens,” IRCU said in its statement. “Elections are a civic exercise that must be conducted in a peaceful environment,” reads part of the of the statement signed by Joshua Kitakule, the IRCU Secretary General.
Below is the full press release.