Tension has taken over Kamuli District after Sowedi Egumbye, the husband of Kamuli Woman MP hopeful Sarah Auma, was shot dead by police on Wednesday night. The shooting happened just hours before the NRM party primaries, leaving many people shocked and confused.
According to the police, the incident took place around 11pm. Authorities say a group of people linked to Sarah Auma’s campaign went to the home of Buzaaya County MP Martin Muzaale.The group was moving in a convoy of cars and reportedly forced their way into Muzaale’s compound by ramming one of their vehicles through his gate.
Busoga North Police spokesperson ASP Michael Kasadha said the group had dangerous weapons like pangas (machetes) and hammers. Some people at the scene were hurt during the chaos, and police were called for help.“When police arrived, they tried to stop the group from leaving. That’s when shots were fired to stop the vehicle. In the process, Sowedi Egumbye was hit and later died from the injuries,” said Kasadha.
The police said the goal was to shoot at the vehicle’s tyres, not to harm anyone. Unfortunately, Egumbye was caught in the gunfire. His body was later taken to Kamuli General Hospital for a post-mortem.
Police are now investigating what happened. They say the incident broke several election rules. It also happened well after campaign hours had ended.
Kasadha also said some of the people who were with Auma’s group were not from the area and may have been brought in to vote illegally. He warned that this is a serious crime and that the police will take action against anyone found guilty.
So far, Sarah Auma has not made a public statement about her husband’s death. Earlier this month, she was involved in a car accident and had been recovering in the hospital.
This incident has raised new fears about violence and fairness in the NRM primaries.