Police fires rubber bullets and teargas

Tororo- Police had to be heavily deployed to guard the residence of Paul Sande Emolot [prime minister of Iteso cultural institution] along Hyena Drive in Tororo municipality after supporters of Yeri Apollo Ofwonoaccused the NRM candidate in the Tororo municipality parliamentary race, of bribing voters. 

Commanded by the district police commander Robert Katuramu, the deployment was made to secure the residence of Emolot after people threatened to burn the residence on suspicion that he was dishing money on behalf of Sanjay Tanna the incumbent area MP, to bribe voters.

Katuramu said the residence was in danger if the police delayed to respond, however it was later proved that the allegations were false.

Katuramu said they searched the home in the presence of Tanga Odoi the chairperson of NRM electoral commission who represented Apollo Ofwono.

He said supporters of Ofwono had reported to police that a number of strange people subsequently entered Emolot’s home and later a pickup also was driven in with an unrecognised load.

But Emolot dismissed claims saying that like any other leader, he receives many people at his home and there is no law that prohibits people from visiting during election day. 

Meanwhile the DPC said elections went well in other parts of the district especially those that had been gazetted as hot spot areas of violence although few other malpractices like voter bribery were reported but police intervened.

He said in some points, agents of candidates staged themselves at strategic points to bribe voters as they came to polling stations.