LUUKA – Thursday, July 17, 2025
A scuffle broke out this Thursday morning in Bukanga Subcounty, Luuka District, as heavily armed, masked UPDF soldiers attached to Hon. Esther Mbayo’s security detail intercepted Emma Mbalasa, the chief agent in charge of delivering appointment letters for parliamentary aspirant Annet Nabirye’s polling agents.
Mbalasa was reportedly blocked and threatened by the soldiers as he attempted to distribute official documents that would allow Nabirye’s agents to participate in today’s NRM primary elections.
“They came out of nowhere, fully masked, and surrounded me,” Mbalasa said. “They told me to halt immediately and said I had no permission to move.”
The incident caused panic at multiple polling stations in Bukanga, delaying preparations and heightening tensions as voters prepared to line up in the nationwide NRM primaries that kicked off at 12:00 noon and are scheduled to end at 2:00pm.
Efforts to reach UPDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Felix Kulayigye for comment on the involvement of uniformed personnel in partisan political activity were unsuccessful. Multiple calls placed to his known phone contacts went unanswered as of Thursday 10:24am where we filed this story.
The silence from the army’s leadership has further inflamed public outrage, with many accusing the UPDF of taking sides in Luuka politics.
Mbayo Accused of Panic and Abuse of Power
Hon. Esther Mbayo, the incumbent Luuka Woman MP, has been under fire for weeks over declining public trust and alleged misuse of state resources. Residents say she has little to show for her term in office, accusing her of personalizing government programs, neglecting community needs, and now — of deploying military force to intimidate rivals.
This morning’s incident is being interpreted by many in Luuka as a desperate attempt by Mbayo to block the momentum of Annet Nabirye, a newcomer who has taken the district by storm with her grassroots-driven campaign.
“She’s threatened by Nabirye’s popularity, so she’s now resorting to force,” said a local leader in Bukanga. “But like it or not, we are tired of her and she can’t win this election.”
Nabirye’s Rise from the Ground Up
Annet Nabirye has never held elective office but is quickly becoming the face of a people-powered revolution in Luuka. Her track record includes opening feeder roads, supporting women and youth groups, and offering a listening ear to constituents often ignored by mainstream politicians.
Recent opinion polls showed her commanding a clear lead over Mbayo, which many believe triggered the incumbent’s heavy-handed tactics today.
A Dangerous Pattern
Today’s scuffle echoes previous incidents involving Mbayo. During the NRM party structures elections earlier this year, she allegedly physically assaulted Luuka Deputy RDC Sembalirwa, an incident that stirred national concern but saw no disciplinary action.
Observers now worry that failure to address such repeated misconduct could set a dangerous precedent for violence in party and national elections.
Supporters of Nabirye and civil society leaders are demanding immediate action from the NRM Electoral Commission, the Uganda Police Force, and the UPDF High Command to ensure that the army is not used to skew internal democratic processes.
“We demand that Gen. Kulaigye and the UPDF leadership publicly clarify their position,” said a women’s rights activist in Luuka. “If this is allowed to pass, the very essence of internal party democracy will be eroded.”
As election process kicks off under tension in Luuka, the people are speaking with their feet — forming long lines, many of them women and youth, determined to cast their votes despite intimidation.
“Mbayo can block letters, she can bring soldiers, but she cannot block change,” one defiant voter said.
