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By Mike Rwothomio
A joint campaign rally for National Resistance Movement (NRM) parliamentary candidates in Ayivu East Division, Arua City, spiraled into violent unrest on July 12, 2025, resulting in five injuries and significant property damage, according to regional law enforcement.
SP Collins Asea, Regional Police Spokesperson, confirmed the incident, highlighting the persistent challenge of electoral violence in the region’s polarized political landscape.
The clash at the former Aroi Sub-County Headquarters exemplifies the volatile dynamics of Uganda’s electoral process, where partisan tensions frequently escalate into physical confrontations.
According to Regional spokesperson SP Collins Asea, On July 12, 2025, five NRM candidates including Hon. Feta Geoffrey, Hon. Sr Zoe Bakoko Bakoru, Eng. Tiyo William Taylor Odaa, Hajj Anguyo Musa, and Naku Eza I’bo Ezra, organized campaign events across three locations in Ayivu East Division: Eraka Trading Center, Alarava Church, and the former Aroi Sub-County Headquarters.
While the Eraka event proceeded without incident for 27 minutes despite Hon. Feta’s absence due to credible intelligence of a planned attack by supporters of a rival, “Aliba”—the Aroi venue descended into chaos.
SP Asea added that, police under the District Police Commander (DPC) observed Hon. Feta’s supporters rallying with music and dance at Aroi.
Tensions erupted when a supporter of Eng. Tiyo William Taylor Odaa, traveling by motorcycle, was ambushed and assaulted by Feta’s loyalists. The incident triggered a broader melee, with rival factions engaging in stone-throwing and physical combat.
A local musician, Ras P, known for composing Feta’s campaign anthem, sustained a jaw injury but remained on-site. The violence escalated when Fred, a supporter of Sr Zoe Bakoko Bakoru, faced verbal harassment followed by a brutal assault with sticks and stones by Feta’s supporters near the venue.
Despite police intervention, Fred suffered severe head injuries and was evacuated to Aroi Health Centre III. Another of Sr. Zoe’s supporters was also hospitalized with a head injury.
Amid the chaos, Feta’s supporters vandalized a vehicle, destroying its windshield, side mirrors, and audio system. Casualties and Immediate Response Five individuals sustained injuries requiring treatment at Aroi Health Centre III and Arua Regional Referral Hospital.
The campaign was suspended, with candidates directed to withdraw for their safety, halting all further electoral activities that day.
Police are pursuing charges of assault causing bodily harm and malicious damage to property. However, identifying perpetrators within the mob remains challenging, exacerbated by the politically charged environment and limited witness cooperation.
This incident underscores the volatile nature of Uganda’s electoral politics, where fierce partisan loyalties and localized power struggles frequently ignite violence.
Arua, with its history of political factionalism, remains a hotspot for such clashes. The 2021 general elections similarly saw widespread unrest, with security forces and partisan groups implicated in assaults, vandalism, and fatalities.
In regions like Arua, historical grievances and intra-party rivalries within the ruling NRM often transform campaign events into flashpoints for mob violence and targeted attacks.
While police interventions aim to restore order, investigations frequently face obstacles due to political interference or reluctance from witnesses in polarized communities. Authorities are calling for enhanced security protocols and dialogue among local political leaders to de-escalate tensions as the campaign season progresses.
The incident highlights the urgent need for reforms to address the systemic drivers of electoral violence in Uganda’s competitive and often fractious political arena.
