SEMBABULE.
To ensure security and quickly control political activities that usually explode into chaos , the police leadership has gazetted Sembabule District as a new policing region.
Under the new arrangement announced by Inspector General of Police ,Abas Byakagaba on Wednesday ,Sembabule ,which has been carved out of Masaka Region will have a regional commander to oversee the districts of Sembabule, Lyantonde, Bukomansimbi, and Gomba
“We have deployed more police officers, motorcycles, and resources to operationalise this new region and provide maximum security,” the IGP said while addressing a security meeting in Sembabule District which was also attended ruling NRM candidates .
Mr Byakagaba also revealed that police have deployed more personnel in Sembabule District ahead of NRM party parliamentary primaries slated for July 17.
The move follows a recent incident in which one person was killed during campaigns, and the police are determined to ensure peace and security in the area.
“We have all agreed that we need to work together to have peaceful elections,” Byakagaba said after meeting police personnel and NRM leaders and candidates in the district on July 09, 2025. “I have together with my team decided to pay a visit to Sembabule following the recent incident in which one person was killed during campaigns.”
According to the IGP, each of the 17 sub-counties in Sembabule will receive a motorcycle and 18 police officers, and the same will apply to the other districts under the new region. This move is aimed at ensuring that the police are well-equipped to handle any security challenges that may arise during the elections.
The deployment comes after rising political tensions in the district, including a June 26 incident where one person, Fred Ssembuusi, was shot dead and two others injured.
The incident occurred when soldiers attempted to disperse a political gathering convened by Lwemiyaga County legislator, Theodore Ssekikubo, at Kirega Trading Centre in Lwemiyaga sub-county.
Byakagaba emphasised that the police will take the lead in providing security during political activities, with the army providing reinforcement only when necessary.
“We cannot say we cannot work with them [soldiers]. The Army is in many areas, but in elections, the Police takes the lead and we only invite them [Army] where we need reinforcement,” he said.
The NRM primaries have a history of violence, and the situation in Sembabule is particularly tense, given the importance of the party elections in determining the district’s leadership.
Party leaders are conducting internal elections across the country to fill leadership positions at various levels, a crucial exercise aimed at strengthening the party’s mobilization structures ahead of next year’s general elections.
However, the party grassroots elections have been marred by violence, and so far, five people have been killed and several others injured.