In this second instalment of a three part series, Journalist Julius Odeke continues with his post-mortem of the battle for Budadiri West constituency.

14^th March 2011

When we reached Buyobo, near Sulaiman Lumolo’s home [the NRM Chairman of Sironko District] we were met by a heavy military deployment.  They quickly descended on us and started beating us randomly.

Another journalist with The Observer, Juma Kasadha was with us. He was also beaten up and our equipment badly damaged.  Kasadha sustained injuries to his head and was bleeding profusely. My camera and laptop computer were badly damaged.

We continued with Nandala’s convoy to Bugusege where we got a road block.  All cars were prevented from going anywhere.  We climbed out to talk to the Regional Police Commander Philip Achaye and the Sironko District Police Commander (DPC) Gerald Mbasa.  But they could do little.  The army had taken full control of the place.

Even DPC Mbasa was beaten and temporarily arrested on allegation that he was taking sides with Nandala Mafabi.  He was also accused of failing to “arrest the situation”. Two weeks earlier, the same DPC had been accused, rightly or wrongly, for receiving a bribe from MP Nandala Mafabi to ensure that wins back his seat. This allegation was made at a meeting called by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission Engineer Badru Kiggundu and the police commander of election operations in the area Grace Turyagumanawe.

As fighting broke out, a car belonging to the LC5 (Local Council) boss for Sironko district David Wambi Kibaale was smashed up by Nandala’s angry supporters.  Nandala then jumped on top of the vehicle and pleaded with his supporters not to damage the car.

One UPDF soldier whose name I couldn’t get at that time was beaten up badly and left with blood oozing from his head.  He was quickly whisked away for both his own safety and medical treatment.  At the time, teargas and water cannon were being fired on the orders of the Regional Police Commander Philip Achaye.  Everybody was sneezing and shading tears.  As I was taking pictures of the ensuing battle, a soldier approached me and started beating me up.

I approached another army officer and complained.  The officer apologized to me on behalf of the soldier but did little to contain the situation. At this exact point in time, Nandala told his supporters that he was going to cast his vote at his Kama Central polling station.  Other journalists and I picked interest to go and photograph him while he was casting his vote.

After Nandala cast his vote, I requested him to drop me to Sironko main road so that I could get transport to Mbale town to file my stories.  “…Let us first visit the next polling station and then we shall drop you”, Nandala replied.  I obliged because it was very difficult to get transport in the area.  Things seemed to moving normally at the polling station we visited.

We now returned to the main road where I was supposed to be dropped off.  Little did we know that the military had been trailing us with two armoured vehicles and one white double-cabin pick-up that didn’t have number plates.  They stopped our four vehicle convoy at gunpoint and asked us to get out of the vehicles. Nandala told us not to get out.  “…If they want to kill us let them kill us while inside”, Nandala said.

The driver then locked the car doors automatically from the front.  The soldiers tried desperately to force the doors open but in vain.  At that point in time, I showed them my press identity card through the windscreen and said I was a Journalist.  The soldier replied that for him to read my identity card, I had come out of the vehicle.

I told him all the doors were automatically locked and controlled by the driver.  They then tried to smash the windscreens.  They went to the side where Nandala Mafabi was sitting and asked him to surrender his pistol.  “…I am a civilian and I do not have any pistol”, Nandala replied.

They turned around and came to my side and harshly asked me to get out of the vehicle but I could not open the door.  The same soldier who beat us up at Bugusege police post came to me said:  “…Why do you want to be killed, come out”. Then he ordered his colleague to shoot me.  I immediately heard a gunshot and I felt my arm paralysed.

When I checked, I saw blood flowing terribly.  I checked my stomach and found that I had been shot through the ribs and blood was oozing out.  I then told Nandala Mafabi that I had been shot and needed urgent medical attention.  There was confusion as our driver desperately tried to drive away, swerving from one end to the other in an attempt to avoid the several military trucks around us.

We managed to drive away as the soldiers were busy beating up all the MP’s supporters at the scene. I was taken to Mbale referral hospital where I received my first operation.  END.  Please log into www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.