By Our Reporter
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has announced the arrest of at least 333 individuals, including 13 NRM district registrars, over allegations of widespread electoral malpractice during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary primaries held on July 17.
In a detailed statement issued on Saturday, July 26, President Museveni revealed that 48 suspects have already been formally charged, most of them facing accusations related to forging election results and undermining the credibility of the ruling party’s internal democratic processes.
“So far, 333 people have been arrested. Of these, 48 have been charged in court—13 of them being NRM district registrars. They will face prosecution mainly for altering results,” the President stated.
The arrests follow Museveni’s directive to purge electoral fraud from the NRM’s internal processes after chaotic scenes and contested outcomes were reported in several districts, including Sembabule, Kamwenge, and Mityana. Complaints from voters and candidates highlighted incidents of ballot stuffing, bribery, intimidation, and unauthorized interference by security operatives.
Some arrested officials were found with pre-marked ballots, while others allegedly restricted access to polling stations or collaborated with state agents to manipulate outcomes in favor of preferred candidates.
Museveni emphasized that the crackdown is ongoing and will extend to all individuals—regardless of rank—who participated in or enabled electoral fraud.
“This operation will not spare anyone. All culprits, including those engaged in voter bribery or ballot manipulation, will be held accountable. I urge the public to continue reporting such criminals,” he said during a national address.
Despite the setbacks on July 17, the President expressed optimism following what he called a marked improvement during the July 24 NRM primaries for LC5 chairpersons, mayors, and other local leaders.
“This time, the exercise was more peaceful and fraud-free. This progress is due to the decisive anti-crime actions we took. It’s a clear sign that discipline can be restored,” he noted.
Preliminary figures from the NRM Secretariat indicate that over 7.95 million members turned out to vote in the July 24 polls, although some districts are still compiling results, and others reported unopposed candidates.
Security agencies have since taken over the investigation, and a comprehensive report is expected to be submitted to the Attorney General’s office before the end of the week. Police sources confirmed that several suspects have recorded statements and are slated to appear in court soon.
President Museveni reaffirmed his commitment to restoring integrity and transparency within the NRM and warned that no individual would be shielded from justice.
“We cannot allow impunity to define our party. Those who try to corrupt our electoral systems are enemies of progress and will face the full force of the law,” he declared.
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