Former opposition FDC Party Presidential Candidate, Col. (Rtd.) Dr. Kizza Besigye, has slammed the NRM government over the continued use of excessive force during the election, describing it as an abuse of democracy.

Dr. Besigye was reacting to the recent directives by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni during the Bukedea and Oyam North by-elections regarding violence and electoral malpractices while appearing on the NBS TV Morning Breeze program on Tuesday, July 11th, 2023.

According to Besigye, due to violence, elections in Uganda have turned out to be meaningless in the struggle to cause a change in the leadership of the country.

“What compelled us to go to the bush (vote rigging) has become worse, and that’s why elections are now useless,” he said.

“All these institutions are not accountable to the people but to those in charge of forces because power is controlled by those with force,” he said.

Dr. Tanga Odoi, the NRM party electoral commission chairman says the recent violence and stuffing in Oyam North must be fully investigated by the security. Odoi insists that he will write to NRM SG, Richard Todwong to establish with staff from the secretariat were behind the incident.

On July 7, 2023, President Museveni condemned and demanded action against the lawbreakers who caused ballot stuffing in the recent by-elections in Oyam. He described it as treason, which NRM leaders should not engage in.