The Kawempe North by-election was never meant to be an election. It was a state-sponsored fraud, a grotesque charade orchestrated by a regime that has mastered the dark art of electoral manipulation. From a miraculous explosion in voter numbers to the shameless terrorizing of journalists, the events that unfolded prove yet again that Uganda’s electoral process is nothing but a rigged casino where the house—Museveni’s corrupt machinery—always wins.
The numbers alone reek of broad-daylight robbery. In 2021, Kawempe North had 164,052 registered voters, but suddenly in 2025, that number has jumped to a jaw-dropping 199,342. A ridiculous 21% increase in just four years? Who are they fooling? Did aliens land in Kawempe and acquire national IDs overnight? This isn’t just election fraud; it’s a grotesque mockery of democracy. The National Unity Platform (NUP) screamed foul, demanding answers, but the so-called Electoral Commission, Museveni’s obedient lapdog, brushed it off with laughable excuses about “new eligible voters” and “internal migrations.” What an insult to intelligence. This wasn’t voter registration; it was voter fabrication—an elaborate scam designed to stuff ballot boxes and rubber-stamp Museveni’s iron grip.
As if rigging the numbers wasn’t enough, security forces turned the by-election into a battlefield. Journalists were not just harassed; they were beaten like common criminals. NBS’s Canary Mugume reported that reporters were physically assaulted for simply trying to do their jobs. The regime’s goons targeted cameras, chased media crews like wild dogs, and left videographer Hassan Wasswa battered. This wasn’t just an attack on press freedom; it was a violent message that the regime fears the truth more than anything. Museveni and his bloodthirsty enforcers know that an informed public is a dangerous public, so their solution? Silence the messengers.
Not content with terrorizing journalists, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) went full dictator mode, yanking Pearl FM off the air for daring to expose the rigging. Their crime? Broadcasting allegations of vote fraud. Because in Museveni’s Uganda, revealing the truth is now considered a crime. The UCC, acting as the regime’s censorship arm, accused the station of spreading “alarmist” content. But what’s more alarming—journalists reporting on vote theft or the fact that the theft is happening in the first place? This is state-sanctioned suppression, a desperate attempt to control the narrative and keep Ugandans blindfolded while their democracy is gutted before their eyes.
Meanwhile, the so-called Electoral Commission continued its hypocrisy by selectively disqualifying candidates under flimsy excuses. Four hopefuls were thrown out of the race, including 23-year-old Hamza Ddamulira, who was too poor to cough up the outrageous Shs3 million nomination fee. And that’s the whole point, isn’t it? To make sure only the rich and regime-friendly candidates make it to the ballot. This is democracy for sale, a sick joke where money and connections—not competence—determine who runs. Museveni’s cronies don’t just want to win; they want to eliminate competition before the game even starts.
And of course, no Ugandan election is complete without violence. Security forces, ever eager to please their dictator, unleashed terror on NUP supporters. Beatings, live bullets, tear gas—it was an all-out assault, a brutal display of force designed to remind Ugandans that elections are just an illusion. The Uganda Law Society (ULS) called out this state-sponsored violence, warning that it erodes public trust. But let’s be real—what trust? Museveni’s government has already bulldozed whatever little trust the public had left.
The Kawempe North by-election was not an election; it was daylight robbery, a power-hungry regime spitting in the face of democracy. By rigging the voter register, brutalizing journalists, shutting down independent media, handpicking candidates, and unleashing state violence, they have once again proved that Uganda is not a democracy but a dictatorship wrapped in an electoral farce. This isn’t just moving the goalposts; it’s burning down the entire stadium to ensure they always win. But one thing is certain—no dictatorship lasts forever. One day, the lies will crumble, the fear will fade, and Ugandans will reclaim what is rightfully theirs.
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