SEMBABULE .The political Atmosphere in Sembabule District which is known for its bloody elections has reached boiling point with soldiers shooting one of Theodore Ssekikubo’s supporters in Lwemiyaga County .
The incident happened at Makukulu Village around 3pm on Thursday as Ssekikubo convoy snaked through villages ,canvassing for votes . The soldiers under the command of Lt. Bashir Zziwa blocked Ssekikubo’s entourage and in the ensuing scuffle one supporter Goerge Mutyaba ,35 was shot in the head . Two of Ssekikubo’s vehicles had their tyres deflated during the scuffle .
In the neighbouring Mawogola North Constituency , the situation is not different . The contest between President Museveni’s brother, Godfrey Aine Kaguta—popularly known as Sodo—and city lawyer Jet Tumwebaze has become extremely tense .
Sodo on Tuesday shared a video on social media showing what he claimed were supporters of Tumwebaze vandalising his campaign posters.
“Why are you removing Sodo’s posters?” a man believed to be one of Sodo’s supporters is heard shouting in the footage.
According to Sodo, the incident occurred in an area known as Kyebando.
“The footage shows Jet Tumwebaze’s Kifesi boys acting under the instructions of their leader, tearing down my campaign posters along with those of our President, H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni,” Sodo wrote.
The video further shows supporters from both camps engaging in a physical confrontation, with individuals seen beating each other using sticks.
However, shortly after Sodo posted the clip, a presumed supporter of Tumwebaze released another video disputing the allegations. In the footage, the supporter claims that Sodo’s posters had been deliberately placed on top of Tumwebaze’s to conceal them.
“These are our posters. Sodo’s people covered them. They put their posters on top of ours. These people have been covering our posters everywhere. Inside is Jet, on top is Sodo,” the supporter says while removing Sodo’s posters to reveal Tumwebaze’s underneath.
With both camps trading accusations over the destruction of campaign materials, the confrontation has reignited concerns about political tolerance and violence in Sembabule District.
The district is widely known for politically motivated violence, particularly during election periods. Analysts attribute this partly to the presence of heavyweight political figures competing for various positions.
Observers note that political violence in Sembabule is not limited to general elections but is often more pronounced during NRM primary contests.
As voters prepare to head to the polls on January 15, Sembabule is among the districts expected to attract national attention due to its highly charged political climate.