KAMPALA
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has contested the outcomes of Kawempe North member of parliament by-election in which their candidate, Hajati Nambi Faridah lost to National Unity Platform’s Counsel Elias Nalukoola. According to the NRM, opposition incited violence in the election prompting many voters not turn up to cast their votes. The party also accuses NUP of ballot stuffing, voter bribery among other electoral irregularities.
During the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting which convened last week, it was resolved to take legal actions against NUP, and investigation into electoral violence in Kawempe.
This move has been blasted by the members of the opposition who claim that the confrontations in Kawempe were provoked by security officers on behalf of the government.
Augustine Ojobile, the Secretary of FDC’s Electoral Commission says NRM should stop making a fool of Ugandans that security shielded NUP supporters to cause violence in Kawempe yet its the one who owns mercenaries and weaponry that were used in Kawempe.
“Its disheartening and heartbreaking that the NRM is going to court over vote rigging, voter bribery and intimidation. I would want to know who holds the mercenary , weaponry of this state that Mr. Museveni wants to condemn for bringing security to the field and operate the way they acted?” Ojobile said.
“If its not foolery to Ugandans what can we call that? They did whatever they did as nrm with their security but what matters alot is that the people of kawempe refused to recognize them and give them many votes,” he added.
Ojobile alleges that votes for their candidate, musician-turned-politician name Mukiibi Sadat alias Kalifah Aganaga were altered in favor of the National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) candidate, Faridah Nambi.
“They ended up playing monkey games of altering the results of individuals who participated in the elections. What amount of shame will these people ever get in order to get ashamed? If they are going to court, which results are they going to use because its known that NRM is noot loved in any corner of Kampala city,” he said.
According to official results announced by the Electoral Commission, Nalukoola (NUP) was declared the winner of the election after he secured 17,764 votes, defeating his closest rival, Faridah Nambi of the NRM, who received 8,593 votes. Independent Muhammad Lusswa and FDC’s Mukiibi Sadat became fourth and fifth after garnering 240 and 239 votes, respectively.
But, the FDC has rejected outcomes of Kawempe North by-election arguing that they were cheated and threatened to sue the electoral commission over what they termed as irresponsibility in the Kawempe North by-election.
Additionally, the National Unity Platform leadership said at a press conference on Monday that it is ready for a second showdown with the National Resistance Movement in court over the outcome of the Kawempe North by-election.
NUP claims that NRM is using reverse psychology, blaming the victims of the violence that electorates were subjected to by the security forces in an attempt to save face from the humiliating loss the party suffered.
They have also dismissed the claim by President Museveni that, out of the 197 polling stations in Kawempe North, ballot boxes were destroyed in 50 of them.
As of now, specific details regarding the alleged vote alterations involving Aganaga have not been extensively covered in the available sources.
