Fear as chairman-elect’s car is torched
Mr Charles Kalebi standing next to his burnt vehicle. Photos by Yazid Yolisigira
What you need to know:
- Following the incident, police officers from Bugade Police Station led by the officer-in-charge, Ronald Tumwebaze, convened a meeting at the village and asked residents to remain calm and avoid revenge acts.
- The Busoga East police publicist, James Mubi, said a police manhunt for Mr Kibwesi - who is on the run - is on.
Residents of Nakibengo Village, Kityelera Sub-county in Mayuge District are living in fear after unknown arsonists invaded the home of the LCI chairman-elect and torched his car.
The vehicle, a Totoya Hiace Taxi registration number UAQ 801A belonging to Charles Kalebi, is said to have been torched using petrol on Sunday night.
Mr Kalebi (NRM) was last week elected LCI Chairman after garnering 138 votes, defeating his opponent Isa Kibwesi (independent) who got 38 votes.
While narrating his ordeal to this reporter on Monday, Mr Kalebi said he was awakened by a ‘blazing sound of fire’ and by the time he got out to extinguish it, the perpetrators had fled.
He added that ever since he was declared winner of the July 10 election, his opponent has allegedly been convening meetings with his supporters and suspects such meetings to have culminated into the torching of his vehicle.
“He rejected the results and has since been mobilizing his supporters to reject my victory. On Saturday, I am told he held meetings with his group and I suspect the torching of my vehicle was discussed from there,” Mr Kalebi said.
The interior of the torched vehicle
The out-going village LCI Chairperson, Rosemary Nampa, said following the conclusion of the polls, tension in the village have been on the horizon, with Mr Kibwesi and his supporters out rightly rejecting the outcome of the poll.
Following the incident, police officers from Bugade Police Station led by the officer-in-charge, Ronald Tumwebaze, convened a meeting at the village and asked residents to remain calm and avoid revenge acts.
In that meeting, the residents said they were living in fear and asked police to beef up security in the area.
“The burning of the vehicle shows that if they got the person (Kalebi) himself (sic), they would have killed him. We are living in fear because we don’t know what the attackers are planning to do next,” Aisha Tibatema, a resident said.
The Busoga East police publicist, James Mubi, said a police manhunt for Mr Kibwesi - who is on the run - is on.
“We suspect him and some of his supporters to have had a hand in the torching of the vehicle and want to hear from him since he has been accused by the Chairman-elect,” Mr Mubi said, warning all those who were defeated in the LCI elections to avoid engaging in criminal acts.
