Inspector General of Police Abas Byakagaba has defended the actions of security forces in Butambala District, claiming they intervened to thwart an attempted attack on a police station and the district tally centre during the January 15 general elections.

Appearing on NBS Television’s Spotlight UG programme, Byakagaba described the violence as triggered by a group of over 100 people allegedly ferried into the district from outside areas, primarily Kampala.

He stated that arrested suspects admitted they were not local residents and were transported by Butambala County MP Muhammad Muwanga Kivumbi (National Unity Platform – NUP). The group was reportedly armed and aimed to assault key installations.

“There was an attempted attack on a police station and a tally centre in Butambala… these people who attempted to attack these places are not necessarily from the area,” Byakagaba said.

He emphasized that security forces acted to protect public order and electoral infrastructure.

The clashes, which occurred overnight on January 15-16 as vote tallying proceeded, resulted in at least seven deaths, with police asserting the fatalities occurred during self-defence against machete-wielding attackers.

Regional police spokesperson Lydia Tumushabe (also referred to as Katushabe in some reports) confirmed the deaths and described the assailants as opposition “goons” organized by Kivumbi.Kivumbi, who lost his parliamentary seat to independent candidate Erias Mukiibi (also reported as Eriasa Sserunjogi Mukiibi or similar variations), provided a starkly different account.

He alleged that security personnel raided his residence around 3 a.m., breaking in and shooting indiscriminately at supporters gathered in a garage to follow results, killing 10 people (with some reports citing seven to ten).

Kivumbi denied any attack plans and called the official narrative false and malicious, demanding independent probes.

The incident escalated tensions amid broader post-election unrest, with reports of dozens injured nationwide and arrests.

President Yoweri Museveni, addressing supporters in Rwakitura after his reelection declaration, linked the violence to opposition planning: “In Butambala, Kivumbi was defeated, and the plan everywhere was that where NUP lost, gangs armed with pangas would attack polling stations. This was attempted… and seven of them were shot dead.”

The conflicting versions have fueled demands from opposition figures and civil society for impartial investigations into the deaths, while authorities maintain the response was proportionate to prevent chaos.

The Butambala events highlight ongoing divisions in Uganda’s polarized political landscape following the contested polls.