Soldiers Wednesday afternoon blocked the incumbent Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo while on his campaign trail in the constituency.
The blockade which lasted an hour happened around 2pm at Suula Village Junction when Ssekikubo as he and his supporters were heading to Bulongo Sub County where he was scheduled to hold a campaign rally.
Under the command of Lt. Bashir Zziwa, who is allied to Ssekikubo’ archival Rtd Brig. Emmanuel Rwanshande, the soldiers who were about 30 in number, ordered Mr Ssekikubo and his entourage to go back, insisting that he wasn’t supposed to campaign in the area.
However, Ssekikubo stood his ground, saying the Electoral Commission (EC) had cleared him to campaign in the area after skipping his scheduled rally on Tuesday while attending a court session in Kampala, where he unsuccessfully challenged Rwashande’s nomination.
“The army has nothing to do with the EC campaign programme. If I am in the wrong place, it is the Police who should block me, not soldiers. On top of that, no candidate is complaining,” he said.
When the blockade persisted, Ssekikubo sought the intervention of the police, which swiftly deployed 15 policemen under the command of the officer in charge of Sembabule Central Police Station, Mr Dickens Tar, who informed the soldiers that Ssekikubo was right to campaign in Bulongo and should be allowed to proceed, which they accepted and cleared the way amid chanting from Ssekikubo’s supporters.
According to the EC programme Brig .Rwashande was on Wednesday supposed to campaign in Lwemiyaga, Lwesankala, Kashunga, and Lwemiyaga town, among other places.
During a stopover at Kabukongote Village, Ssekikubo asked residents to stay calm, saying the deployment of soldiers was orchestrated by Brig Rwashande to frustrate his campaign programme ahead of the January 15 General Election.
‘We understand the situation is intense with a lot of intimidation, but remain calm. We know all this is being done by our rivals to disorganise us, but they will not succeed because we are strong and we ask you also to be strong,’ he said.
Brig. Rwashande was not available on phone to respond to Ssekikubo’s claims. His chief campaigner, Rtd Maj Gen Phenihas Katirima also did not pick this reporter’s repeated phone calls.
Ssekikubo, who has concentrated on voter education ahead of the January 15 General Election, asked locals to be vigilant on the polling day to reduce cases of vote rigging.
Ssekikubo was supposed to be at Bulongo Sub-county in Kyembogo, Kinoni, Booma, Kabukongote, and Kibeho, among other villages but he did not manage to campaign in all the listed places because of time.
Apart from Rwashande, another contender, Migadde Amooti (Ind) is also in the race.
Ssekikubo, 56, who seeks a sixth term in Parliament in 2026, hit the political scene in 2001 when he defeated former MP, Sam Rwakoojo, who was, until recently, serving as a secretary at the Electoral Commission.
During the 2021 General Election, he defeated his closest challenger, former junior transport minister Joy Kabatsi, who garnered 5,649 votes against Ssekikubo’s 8,527 votes.
Edmond Bwiire(Ind) 4,196 votes and Paul Ziridamu( NUP) 384 votes.
In the 2016 General Election, Ssekikubo polled 9,272 votes, Patrick Nkalubo Ind (8,074 votes), Wilber Nahweera of FDC (157 votes) and Andrew Nankunda Ind (68 votes).