As Ugandans are grappling with how to reconcile with the aftermath of the short lived but hard-to-forget March 13th Kawempe North parliamentary by-election, members of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party have rejected the by election result released by the electoral commission.
It has been reliably learnt that during the Friday CEC meeting at State House Entebbe, committee members directed the party Secretary General Richard Todwong to begin on preliminaries including evidence mobilisation, ahead of running to court to report what was generally referred to as ‘irregularities’.
Top party organ members attributed vote rigging and violence to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) members and security, which they claim undermines the NRM underlying spirit of fighting election violence and rigging, under which they opted to wage a protracted war against the government of the day in 1981.
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The meeting, chaired by the NRM chairperson, President Yoweri Museveni, rejected the Kawempe North results because, they aver, it did not reflect the free will of the people of Kawempe North, and that there was massive rigging and violence, against which the party leaders went to the bush to fight against.
The source added that the meeting directed Todwong to officially communicate CEC’s dissatisfaction over the polls on Saturday and, although the NRM spokesperson, Emmanuel Dombo, confirmed the CEC meeting, he declined to divulge the details of what transpired, noting that Todwong would brief the media.
“Please wait for the secretary general. He will address the press on Saturday [March 15] on the decisions of CEC,” Dombo said. Contacted over the matter, Dombo also declined to comment on the issues discussed by CEC, saying he will give the public a detailed account of the directives of the ruling party’s top organ on March 15.
After addressing CEC members, sources said Museveni also convened the NRM Parliamentary Caucus to discuss the Kawempe North by-election and the deployment of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in South Sudan.
NRM MPs who talked to our reporter said that President Museveni rejected the Kawempe North election results on the grounds that results from 15 polling stations were cancelled.
“The President said he had called us to brief us on two issues; one being the just concluded Kawempe North elections. The first thing he said was that the party had rejected the results. He wondered what type of election this was where the results of 15 polling stations were cancelled. He said the party had asked the secretary general to take action,” a seasoned NRM MP said.
The President is said to have told members that despite the irregularities, NRM party members do not seem to have worked as a team, and he reportedly noted that technical mistakes were observed and would be addressed. He also reportedly noted issues of ballot-box stuffing, which he allegedly said would be investigated.
The President reportedly blamed security agencies for beating people up during the process, adding that the matter is being studied.
He also noted that the security agencies in some places did what they were not supposed to do and promised that the situation would be studied.
The Electoral Commission (EC) on Thursday declared Elias Nalukoola of the National Unity Platform (NUP) as the winner of the Kawempe North by election after beating nine other candidates. Nalukoola won with 17,764 votes and was followed by Faridah Nambi of NRM who got 8,593 votes.
The seat fell vacant on January 9, 2025 following the death of Muhammad Ssegirinya, who was also a NUP member. Announcing the results, Henry Makabayi, the Kampala electoral district returning officer, said 15 polling stations did not return the results because the polling stations were destroyed, mainly in Kazo Angola.
The total number of votes cast was 27,596, while the rejected ones were 406. The spoilt ones were 49. The total number of registered voters was 199,064.
Although the NUP candidate won the by-election, the party contested the results from various polling stations like Kazo-Angola, where the results from their declaration forms did not match those with the EC declaration forms.
It was generally noted that during the campaign and polling period, Journalists, among other people, were attacked by security forces as they covered the Kawempe North by election, and reports indicated that at least 10 journalists are nursing injuries after being assaulted by security forces.
Some of the victmised journalists include Vision Group’s Ibrahim Ruhweza, Isaac Nuwagaba and Nation Media Group Uganda’s Abubaker Lubowa, Denis Kabugo, Raymond Tamale and Hasifah Nanvuma. Hassan Wasswa, Francis Isano and Francis Ijjo of Next Media were also targeted. Some of the journalists were later released while limping, with some of their personal belongings either confiscated or destroyed by security operatives.
On Wednesday, journalist Steven Kibwika was assaulted while investigating allegations of ballot pre-ticking at a house at Nameere in Kawempe. He was joined by Thomas Kitimbo, who was attacked at the same location.
Another shocking incident took place on February 26 when operatives from the Joint Anti-Terrorist Task Force (JATT) beat and severely injured Ibrahim Miracle, a journalist from Top TV. Miracle, who almost lost his left eye, is still undergoing treatment.
On UPDF deployment in SouthSudan, President Museveni reportedly requested NRM CEC members to support the decision when it is brought to Parliament for approval.
“We the members of the NRM Parliamentary Caucus have resolved to support the deployment of the UPDF in South Sudan as a necessary intervention for peace enforcement to protect lives, restore stability and prevent further escalation of conflict,” the Government Chief Whip and NRM party caucus chairperson, Denis Hamson Obua, said in a statement.
The caucus also agreed to support the proposal for parliamentary approval of UPDF’s deployment under Uganda’s Constitution and the UPDF Act.
Last week, the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, confirmed the deployment of UPDF Special Forces in South Sudan, noting that they are there to help secure Juba. The deployment came in the wake of skirmishes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his vice president Riek Machar, with Machar’s forces threatening to march to the capital.
“UPDF commandos arriving in Juba to support South Sudan People’s Defence Forces in the current crisis. Operation Mlinzi wa Kimya (silent guard) has begun. God bless UPDF!” Kainerugaba said on social media.