Voting in Kasawo Town Council descended into chaos on Wednesday evening after masked goons armed with crude weapons stormed several polling stations, assaulting voters and election officials and destroying voting materials just as the exercise was nearing its close.
The violence occurred in Kasawo Sub-county, Mukono District, where more than twenty youths, wielding metal bars, batons, sticks, and stones, invaded polling centres at Kisenu Junior Quality School in Kitale–Busia village and surrounding areas. Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived suddenly, triggering panic among voters and officials who fled for safety.
According to residents and witnesses at the scene, the assailants targeted polling stations in Kisenu and Mubanda villages, where they scattered ballot papers, kicked and smashed ballot boxes, and forcefully demanded access to voting materials. At least three voters and several Electoral Commission officials were injured during the fracas.
Witnesses alleged that the attackers were bodyguards linked to the Mukono District NRM Chairperson, Al-Hajji Haruna Ssemakula. Some of the goons were reportedly dressed in military-style uniforms, while others wore masks to conceal their identities.
Residents further claimed that a Toyota Drone vehicle with concealed number plates was parked near the affected polling stations. The vehicle allegedly carried armed men who attempted to forcefully stuff pre-ticked ballot papers into the ballot boxes. The group is said to have stormed at least three polling stations as voting was about to end, escalating tensions and disrupting the electoral process.
Polling officials were reportedly assaulted during the incident, while many voters abandoned the polling centers in fear for their safety. Voting, which had proceeded peacefully throughout the day, was abruptly halted following the violence.
Kasawo Town Council Mayor James Mulindwa, who is contesting as an independent candidate, strongly condemned the incident, accusing Al-Hajji Haruna Ssemakula of orchestrating the chaos to influence the election outcome in favor of NRM candidate Andrew Kaddu. Mulindwa described the violence as a deliberate attempt to undermine democracy and called on General Katumba Wamala, a resident of Kasawo, to intervene and restore political stability in the area.
Similarly, Kasawo Sub-county Chairperson and election candidate James Mulindwa accused Ssemakula of deploying the youth commonly referred to by residents as “HULK” bouncers to interfere with the voting process and tilt results in favour of his preferred candidate, Kaddu Fred.
The violence sparked outrage among residents, many of whom demanded Ssemakula’s resignation, accusing him of damaging the image of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) and eroding public trust in the electoral process.
Kasawo Town Council Electoral Officer Hassan Ssenfuka confirmed that votes from the two most affected polling stations would not be counted. He said the damaged ballot boxes and scattered ballot papers had been retrieved and taken to Naggalama Police Station to aid investigations.
Ssenfuka noted that voting had been calm and orderly until the arrival of the vehicle with concealed number plates, after which masked youths began assaulting polling officials and vandalising election materials. He described the incident as a grave violation of electoral procedures and said detailed reports were being compiled for submission to the police.
The incident adds to a growing list of controversies surrounding Al-Hajji Haruna Ssemakula, who has previously been accused of storming Electoral Commission offices to overturn election results and mismanaging party funds. Several NRM members have since joined calls for his resignation, citing alleged abuse of office and lack of accountability.
By press time, security agencies had not issued an official statement, and it remained unclear whether any arrests had been made in connection with the violence.
The disruption has left many voters traumatised and raised renewed concerns over security, transparency, and fairness in the ongoing elections in Mukono District, casting a shadow over the credibility of the electoral process in the area.
