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Electorates line up to participate in the LCIII NRM elections
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By Our Reporter
Mitooma,
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission has ordered a repeat of the party's internal elections in Kabira Subcounty, Mitooma District, following reports of irregularities during the initial exercise.
In a letter dated Wednesday, Dr. Tanga Odoi, Chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, instructed Ephraim Byabakama, the Mitooma District NRM Registrar, to conduct fresh elections in Kabira Subcounty after receiving a petition from Muhangi Elisam. Muhangi had been disqualified by the district’s NRM Administrative Secretary, Julius Kagina, on grounds that he was already serving as an elected LCI Chairperson — a claim the Electoral Commission has now ruled baseless.
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According to Dr. Odoi, there is no legal provision that prohibits a person from contesting for positions within the NRM’s subcounty-level structures simply because they hold a local council office.
The disqualification led to the disruption of elections in three parishes—Nyamabare, Rurehe North, and Buharambo—which boycotted the polls. As a result, only Nyakatete Parish participated, and Jackson Nuwamanya from Nyakatete stood unopposed. This sparked outrage among local leaders and residents who denounced the process as unfair and exclusionary.
“We consulted top offices and were clearly told that Muhangi Elisam was eligible to contest. So why was he disqualified at the last minute?” asked Tumwebaze Gilverzio, NRM Chairperson for Rurehe North Parish.
Nagaba Henry, Secretary for Nyamabare Parish, criticized the local election officials for incompetence and alleged bias.
“If the registrars were properly trained, why did they fail to conduct fair nominations? And if the mistake was theirs, why didn’t they postpone the elections to allow our parishes to participate legally?” he questioned.
Supporters from the three affected parishes also accused the organizers of irregularities and bribery, demanding a more inclusive process and warning that the disenfranchisement could harm the party’s unity at the grassroots level.
In defense of the earlier process, Julius Kagina maintained:
“The rejection of the elections by the three parishes did not invalidate the process. As far as the party is concerned, the elections were successfully conducted.”
However, with the NRM Electoral Commission now intervening, Kagina acknowledged receipt of the directive and confirmed that fresh nominations would be held on Thursday, ahead of the district-level elections scheduled for Friday.
“We are ready to comply with the directive and conduct peaceful and inclusive elections,” Kagina told our reporter by phone.
Torch Media Africa
