MBALE, Uganda — At least 13 security officers were injured on Election Day after a patrol vehicle crashed during election security operations in Jewa Town Council, Mbale District, eastern Uganda.
The injured include 10 officers from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and three from the Uganda Police Force, who were deployed to maintain order during voting in the region.
The Elgon Region Police Spokesperson, Rogers Taitika, described the incident as unfortunate, saying the officers were conducting patrols in Bungokho North County, an area security agencies had flagged as a potential hotspot for electoral violence during the 2026 general election.
While the exact cause of the accident was not disclosed, police said it involved the driver of the pickup truck transporting the officers.
Eight of the injured personnel were admitted to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, where they are receiving treatment, while others sustained minor injuries.
Despite the crash, authorities said the voting process across the Elgon sub-region remained largely peaceful, with only a handful of isolated incidents reported.
Taitika cited disturbances in Sironko and Bulambuli districts, where tensions flared around polling and campaign activities.
In Sironko District, presidential candidate Nathan Nandala Mafabi was reportedly assaulted and injured by a mob in Bugusege Sub-county and later hospitalised.
In a separate incident in the same district, the vehicle of Vincent Weboya, a parliamentary candidate for Budadiri East, was set ablaze by unknown assailants, raising further concerns about targeted political violence.
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Police also confirmed the arrest of at least 30 suspects in Sironko in connection with election-related violence. According to authorities, the suspects were found in possession of pangas and knives, and investigations are ongoing.
The incidents come amid heightened security deployment across Uganda, where thousands of police officers and UPDF personnel were jointly deployed to secure polling stations and key transport routes during the elections.
Human rights groups have previously raised concerns about the heavy militarisation of the electoral process, even as security agencies insist the deployments are necessary to prevent violence and protect voters.
