BUTAMBALA, Uganda — A senior Ugandan opposition figure has accused security forces of killing 10 members of his campaign team after storming his home during Thursday’s general election, held amid a nationwide internet blackout.
Muwanga Kivumbi, a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Butambala District, told Vivid Voice News that the fatal raid took place on Thursday evening, shortly after voting had ended.
“Ten were killed inside my house,” Kivumbi told Vivid Voice News by phone on Friday.
Uganda went to the polls under heavy security restrictions and an internet shutdown ordered by authorities, as President Yoweri Museveni sought to extend his four-decade rule.
Rights groups have accused the government of intensifying repression against opposition politicians and their supporters during the election period.
According to Kivumbi, hundreds of supporters had gathered at his home after casting their ballots. He said chaos erupted when security forces moved in, prompting many to flee.
Kivumbi’s wife, Zahara Nampewo, a law professor, said officers fired through the door of a garage where campaign agents had taken shelter.
She described scenes of panic and trauma as the operation unfolded.
“Right now I’m anxious because they have redeployed around home again,” Nampewo said.
“I was very shaken personally. Seeing fresh bodies. I mean, that is something that cannot easily go away.”
The couple said the army later removed the bodies from the compound. They added that the death toll was confirmed by a local hospital.
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Independent verification of the incident has been difficult due to the government-imposed internet blackout, which has restricted the flow of images, videos and real-time reporting from affected areas.
Kivumbi said security forces had maintained a heavy presence around his home in the days leading up to the election and that members of his campaign team had previously been attacked.
Uganda Police Force has not issued an official response to the allegations by the time of publication.
Lydia Tumushabe, a local police spokesperson, disputed the account. She said opposition “goons” organised by Kivumbi had attacked a police station and carried machetes, axes and boxes of matches.
She said the police had fired in self-defence and that there were fatalities and injuries, without saying how many.
The claims add to mounting concerns raised by opposition leaders and international observers about the conduct of Uganda’s elections, including reports of lethal force, arbitrary arrests and restrictions on media and digital communications.
