Uganda Today: Otafiire and the Rot Within: Vote Rigging, Violence, and the Betrayal of NRM’s Democratic Façade
By Uganda Today Investigative Desk
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government concluded its primary elections on Thursday, July 17, 2025. What should have been an internal democratic process to renew its mandate through popular participation has once again been reduced to a grim theatre of vote rigging, bribery, and bloodshed. Unofficial but credible reports now indicate that at least 19 Ugandans lost their lives in various violent scuffles related to these primaries — a disturbing indictment of how far the party of President Yoweri Museveni has drifted from its professed ideals.
But perhaps no incident encapsulates the rot within better than a damning video that has since gone viral, showing none other than General Kahinda Otafiire, Uganda’s long-serving Minister currently under the docket of Internal Affairs, ferrying in students to cast illegal votes in his favour. The video — obtained by Uganda Today — clearly captures dozens of youth being unloaded in droves, reportedly from institutions in Bushenyi and Mbarara, to influence the electoral outcome in Ruhinda constituency.
This brazen manipulation not only undermines the credibility of the NRM electoral process but also raises serious questions about the legitimacy of those who emerge victorious through such fraudulent tactics. If the Internal Affairs Minister — the very man responsible for internal security and public order — is seen participating in electoral fraud, what message does that send about the sanctity of elections in Uganda?
A Legacy of Deceit: Otafiire’s Track Record
This is not the first time General Otafiire has been caught in an ethical quagmire. The late Justice Prof. George Wilson Kanyeihamba, one of Uganda’s most respected legal minds and a fellow historical in the NRM liberation struggle, openly accused Otafiire of outright theft. According to Kanyeihamba, Otafiire, then Minister of Constitutional Affairs, illegally took funds government gave him for medical treatment in India, an incident Kanyeihamba described as a betrayal not just of personal trust, but of the values they once fought for in the bush.
Prof. Kanyeihamba, who passed away on July 14, 2025, was never shy to call out impunity. His judicial opinions and public writings often painted a vivid picture of systemic rot in the NRM’s top leadership, and he frequently warned that if left unchecked, such arrogance of power would lead Uganda to democratic collapse. His warnings echo louder than ever today.
The Cost of Rigging: Blood on the Ballot
As NRM leaders ferry in illegal voters and rig ballots, ordinary Ugandans pay the price with their lives. The unofficial reported 19 deaths during the primaries — though unconfirmed by police — reflect the dangerous stakes now attached to internal party contests. In districts like Sembabule, Kiboga, and Mbale, scuffles erupted between rival camps, with armed personnel allegedly used to intimidate voters and opposition factions of these powerful individuals wielding army, police and government influence..
Many have asked: if this is what happens during internal party elections, what should Ugandans expect in the national 2026 general elections?
A Silent Majority Speaks
As the late Kanyeihamba once lamented, “Uganda is ruled by thieves and defended by liars.” Yet, whenever such truths are spoken, regime sympathisers are quick to dismiss them as opposition propaganda. The evidence, however, continues to mount. When ministers openly rig elections, when party electoral bodies are reduced to bystanders, and when citizens die for daring to vote, then Uganda is no longer in a democracy — it is in a hostage situation.
As we mourn the lives lost, and reflect on the courage of men like Prof. Kanyeihamba, we are reminded that history has a way of returning to judge the wicked. And in that reckoning, no amount of ferried voters will save the architects of fraud.
Watch the video of General Otafiire’s vote rigging here:
#NRMPrimaries2025 #UgandaDecides #KahindaOtafiire #JusticeKanyeihamba #ElectoralFraud #UgandaPolitics #UgandaToday
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