A joint NRM campaign rally at Kyerero Health Centre II in Bukinda Sub-county, Rukiga District, descended into chaos on Monday after voters vehemently rejected former State Minister for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Herbert Kabafunzaki, from addressing them.
Kabafunzaki, also a former MP for Rukiga County, had accompanied Alex Magezi Kanuga, one of the aspirants vying for the NRM flag in Rukiga County following an earlier appearance with him at a rally in Kamwezi Sub-county. However, unlike the earlier engagement, the Bukinda rally took a dramatic turn.
Tension erupted when the NRM District Registrar and campaign moderator, Yaryakumanyi Selubowa Twaha, invited Kanuga to the podium. Upon taking the microphone, Kanuga called up Kabafunzaki to speak on his behalf. The crowd instantly erupted in protest, shouting down the former minister.
As Kabafunzaki attempted to speak, the jeering intensified. His appeals for calm were drowned out, sparking further commotion. Several aspirants raised concerns over Kanuga’s decision to involve a non-contestant in the joint campaign event.
Registrar Twaha quickly intervened, ruling that it was against guidelines for candidates to bring in external figures to campaign on their behalf. He instructed Kanuga to resume his speech alone.
While there was a brief lull in the unrest, it reignited when Kanuga mentioned Kabafunzaki again, prompting fresh boos that forced him off the stage.
To de-escalate the situation, Twaha invited Dr. Sylvia Alianaitwe, the only female aspirant in the race to address the gathering. Her speech was met with applause and attentiveness, a stark contrast to the earlier disruption.
Believing tensions had subsided, Twaha granted Kanuga another chance to speak. However, the crowd remained defiant and unresponsive, prompting Twaha to call off the rally altogether.
Even after the rally was suspended, supporters lingered at the venue, chanting and trading insults, particularly between camps loyal to Kanuga and fellow aspirant Patrick Kiconco Katabazi.
Verbal confrontations escalated, forcing police to deploy anti-riot personnel.
Security forces fired teargas and live bullets into the air to disperse the crowd. Nonetheless, some supporters defiantly continued to cheer for their preferred candidates. Kanuga was later escorted from the venue under heavy police protection.
Earlier in the day, the campaign trail had seen a peaceful start with a relatively calm rally at Nyakasiru Primary School playground, also within Bukinda Sub-county.
