Tensions boiled over during the National Resistance Movement (NRM) internal elections held in Mbarara City North Division on when a confrontation involving area Member of Parliament Dr. Robert Mwesigwa Rukaari nearly turned deadly.
Eyewitnesses, supported by viral video footage circulating on social media, claim that the legislator attempted to draw a pistol at a group of angry voters who had accused him of attempting to rig the election results.
The elections, meant to decide the next NRM division chairman, descended into mayhem, revealing deep divisions in the ruling party’s grassroots structures and exposing bitter dissatisfaction among voters, particularly directed at their own elected representative.
The NRM district-level elections have been marred by widespread allegations of irregularities, and Mbarara City North was no exception. At the center of the controversy stood Dr. Robert Rukaari, a legislator who once enjoyed overwhelming support in the constituency. However, during the heated proceedings, voters publicly turned on him, accusing him of betrayal.
In the widely circulated video, the MP—dressed in a pink shirt and navy blue trousers—is seen walking into a crowd of restless voters.
The atmosphere was visibly tense. Voters could be heard shouting angrily, some raising their voices to denounce the MP’s alleged interference with the electoral process.
One man is audibly heard saying, “We supported you last time, but you have disappointed us!”
Others joined in, claiming Rukaari was backing a candidate who was clearly losing, and that he was trying to influence the outcome through manipulation or intimidation. Eyewitnesses claim the MP’s demeanor shifted from calm to combative in a matter of seconds.
While the MP initially appeared to brush off the heckling with laughter and hand gestures, things quickly spiraled out of control.
Rukaari, perhaps overwhelmed by the hostile reception, suddenly charged toward the group that was confronting him and appeared to reach for what many identified as a firearm tucked beneath his shirt.
“He moved so fast, I thought he was going to punch someone,” said a boda-boda rider who witnessed the scene unfold. “But then we saw his hand go under his shirt, and that’s when people started shouting, ‘He’s pulling a gun!”
Aaron Kanyikirize was prematurely declared winner before all votes were tallied prompting supporters of his rival Mukasa Kamwebaze to reject the announcement.
