KAMPALA
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has concluded hearings for 431 parliamentary petitions filed from the just-concluded party primaries, officials confirmed yesterday.
The Tribunal, chaired by John Musiime, said all rulings on parliamentary petitions lodged since July 29, 2025, were delivered within 28 days, a move aimed at streamlining internal party processes ahead of the 2026 general elections.
In addition, the body has handled 182 petitions related to district and city council chairpersons and councillors. Of these, 156 rulings have already been issued, while the rest are expected to be finalised in the coming days. The Tribunal is now preparing to process petitions for sub-county chairpersons and councillors.
“We reaffirm our commitment to timely, fair, and final decisions that safeguard the genuine will of NRM members and strengthen internal democracy within the party,” Musiime said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The Tribunal also acknowledged the heavy workload shouldered by its members, legal officers, and support staff over the past month, noting that some officials had fallen ill due to the pressure of the proceedings.
The NRM internal primaries were largely marred with irregularities including voter bribery, intimidations and divisions within the party, promoting the party national chairman to institute a special legal committee to handle disputes. Although the committee claimed to have successfully concluded resolving conflicts, many losers of the elections including petitioners have expressed their dissatisfaction in the tribunal and declared independent candidacy while others crossed to opposition political parties.
