Leaflets opposing Museveni’s 35 year rule dropped in Kabale

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Unidentified people have dropped leaflets calling for an end to President Museveni’s 35-year rule in several places in Kabale district. The leaflets were dropped in Kabale town especially in Kigongi along Kabale-Mbarara highway, Kabale taxi park along Coryndon road and Keita road in the central division, Mukinyabwooya in Northern division and Kirigime in Southern division, Kabale municipality.

The leaflets first appeared on the streets on Tuesday morning and were picked up by security as exhibits. However, more leaflets were dropped on Wednesday night. The leaflets carry a crossed portrait of Museveni and messages branding him as a dictator and promoter of poverty, nepotism, extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses.

They also carry a message declaring that “Enough is Enough,” which is also translated in Luganda and Swahili. Salim Hamis, the Kirigime ward NRM chairperson of Southern division in Kabale says the municipality is unhappy with the leaflets, saying political campaigns and elections were concluded.

He says that the leaflets condemning Museveni’s rule are unnecessary since he was voted by the majority of Ugandans in the just concluded presidential elections.

Maurice Mugenga Keitaba, the Kabale district NRM returning officer says the leaflets are uncalled for because they are aimed at inciting hatred against Museveni who was voted by the majority. Keitaba says there is need for NRM leaders in the district to work with security to identify those behind the leaflets.

Brian Ampeire, the Kabale District Police Commander says they have commenced investigations to find those behind the leaflets and their motives. He however says that they suspect that the leaflets could be the work of opposition politicians who lost in the recent elections.

This comes a week after police arrested two people in Masaka accused of circulating similar leaflets in Masaka and its neighboring districts.

The Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama declared Museveni the winner of the January 14th, 2021 presidential elections with 5,851,037 votes (58.64 percent) while his closest rival, the National Unity Platform presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi garnered 3,475,298 votes.

Kyagulanyi refuted the results and petitioned the Supreme court accusing Museveni of vote-rigging.

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