The gradual release of the early results of the vote of Uganda’s presidential election, which was characterized by high stakes, began on Friday. The big lead that the incumbent Yoweri Museveni enjoyed was officially celebrated but at the same time overshadowed by reports of a terrible massacre the night before.
During a nationwide internet blackout and with a heavily armed military presence, at least ten supporters of the opposition were reportedly executed in cold blood.
The conflict began at the home of Member of Parliament Muwanga Kivumbi, where supporters had come to watch the counting and protect what they thought was a victory for the musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine.
Renowned human rights defender Agather Atuhaire was among the first to ring the alarm on the situation, alleging that military and police forces had mixed up with the unarmed vigil and opened fire, killing more people than was planned and turning the political vigil into a massacre.
But the government’s account, in contrast, shows a completely different scenario. Police spokeswoman Lydia Tumushabe dismissed the targeted killing allegations and labeled the dead as “goons” who were armed with machetes and axes and had allegedly tried to break into a police station nearby. The government admits that some people died but maintains that the security forces used their firearms in self-defense against organized attempts to create anarchy.
The bloodbath’s timing is as terrifying as the event itself. At present, Bobi Wine is practically under house arrest, and his house is surrounded by military vehicles; the resistance’s logistical backbone is being dismantled step by step. While Museveni asserts a powerful 76 percent lead, the world is left watching the communication blackout that has been imposed by the government, which has created a digital void.
What is left is a market of terror. The “Kivumbi House Massacre” is the dark escalation of a campaign already defined by the disappearance of activists and the crushing of dissent. In Uganda, the bullet is now louder than the vote, and the ten murdered families have to pay the price of democratic hope in the form of a terminal debt. The earth is witnessing a regime that is no longer just counting votes but also counting deaths.
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