Andiru replaces sister Nebanda in Butaleja

he election registered very poor turnout with almost half of the 92, 242 registered voters in Butaleja district not voting

Ms Florence Andiru Nebanda, who contested on the ticket of the ruling National Resistance Movement in the Butaleja District Woman Parliamentary by-election, was yesterday evening declared winner of the race with a landslide.

Ms Andiru defeated four contestants.

At 11:15 pm on Monday, Ms Mabel Wakabi, the Butaleja District Electoral Commission Registrar, announced at 11:15pm on Monday that Ms Andiru Nebanda had scored 27, 338 votes against her closet rival Ms Betty Hamba, an independent, who got 12, 157 votes.

Ms Sarah Annette Logose, an independent, was third with 3, 393 votes while Forum for Democratic Change’s Felistas Namwihiri got 3, 262 votes. Ms Perusi Munabi, an independent candidate, managed 1, 332 votes.

The election registered a poor turnout with almost half of the 92, 242 registered voters not voting.

The declaration of Ms Andiru as winner threw NRM party supporters who had gathered at Butaleja District headquarters into celebrations.

Ms Alice Namulwa, Ms Andiru’s mother, commended voters for sympathising with the family by voting her daughter to replace her sister, Cerinah Nebanda, who died in December last year.

Ms Hamba and Ms Namwihiri said the exercise was marred by malpractices.

The exercise kicked off at a slow pace amid heavy police deployment and a wave of arrests of opposition FDC activists.

Police arrested at least 18 people for various offences, including inciting violence, vote bribery, multiple voting and impersonation.

Ms Andiru is one of a few NRM candidates who have won several by-elections held since the 2011 general elections.

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