The Police in Kampala have spoken about the arrest of the National Unity Platform (NUP) Secretary-General, Lewis Rubongoya.

Police say Rubongoya threatened the minister of health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng during the Omoro by-election held last month.  

In a tweet, Rubongoya confirmed his arrest on Wednesday morning, June 22, 2022, together with his personal driver, one Gordon Agaba and detained at Wandegeya Police Station.

He was however released but the driver was transferred to Nateete Police Station in Rubaga Division but when he later followed him, he too was re-arrested and detained. 

“Today (Wednesday, June 22, 2022) morning, while driving via Wandegeya with my driver Agaba Gordon, a traffic officer stopped us and claimed that my car is wanted on allegations of having committed a crime during the recently concluded by-election in Omoro,” Rubongoya stated. 

He added that they were briefly arrested at Wandegeya Police Station but he was released and he was able to proceed to attend court for legislators, Allan Ssewanyana and Muhammad Ssegirinya.

“However, Gordon (Agaba, the driver) was later driven to Nateete Police Station, I then went to follow up and I have been re-arrested,” he wrote on his tweeter account.   

The Kampala Metropolitan Police (KMP) spokesman, Patrick Onyango confirmed the arrest of Rubongoya and his driver Agaba, saying they were being held on allegations of threatening violence.  

According to the police message, it is alleged that on May 26, 2022 at about midday, while in Omoro County, Rubongoya, using motor vehicle registration number UAS 490Z, Toyota Landcruiser, white in color, threatened Dr. Aceng. The case was allegedly recorded on file number 19/26/5/2022.  

According to Onyango, the two suspects were by Wednesday evening still being held at Natete pending transfer to Omoro where they are expected to be tried in court. He however did not divulge details of how the two suspects threatened the minister.      

Andrew Ojok, son of former Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oulanya and a member of the ruling national Resistance Movement (NRM) was declared winner of the by-election held on May 26, 2022.

He garnered 14,224 of the total votes cast. He beat his main rival, National Unity Platform’s Simon Toolit Akecha who collected 1,633 votes. 

 Others in the race included Terence Odonga (Independent) who received 532 votes, Justine Odong Obiya (Forum for Democratic Change) who got 529, Jimmy Odong Onen (Independent) with 88 votes and Oscar Kizza (Alliance for National Transformation) who scored only 63 votes.

NUP however contested the outcome of the by-election, claiming that many of their agents were arrested by the security personnel on the eve of

and during the election.               

The Omoro parliamentary by-election was to fill the seat previously held by Jacob Oulanyah, the parliament speaker, following his death on March 22.

The Electoral Commission declared Oulanyah’s son, Andrew Ojok, of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM), the winner with 83.3 percent of the vote.