NRM wins Bugiri by-elections
President Yoweri Museveni (L) and former minister of state for Fisheries Mr Fred Mukisa campaigning for Hajj Siraji Lyavala (R) recently. Hajj Lyavala was declared winner in the just concluded by-elections
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Shortly after Mr Lyavala was declared winner, the leader of Opposition in Parliament Mr Wafula Oguttu contested the results on grounds that there was vote rigging, intimidation and unnecessary arrests of the FDC leaders and supporters
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, Hajj Siraji Lyavala has been declared winner of the Bugiri LC5 by-elections.
Mr Lyavala was on Thursday night declared winner of the hotly contested seat after he garnered 27,364 votes out of 59,109 total numbers of votes cast.
He was closely followed by the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate Mr Bumali Luba, who got 27,197 votes.
However, Mr Mohamed Walangalira and Mr Abdu Nakendo, both Independent, got 879 and 867 votes respectively while Mr Simon Funa also Independent got 861 votes.
According to the Electoral Commission Chairman, Mr Badru Kiggundu, the elections were free and fair, with a total number of 1941 votes declared invalid.
Shortly after Mr Lyavala was declared winner, the leader of Opposition in Parliament Mr Wafula Oguttu contested the results on grounds that there was vote rigging, intimidation and unnecessary arrests of the FDC leaders and supporters.
Mr Ogguttu further said that they (Opposition) will go to court to challenge the results.
Earlier in the day, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) leader in Jinja District, Mr Abubaker Maganda, and a group of about 20 party supporters were on Thursday arrested in connection with alleged disruption of the elections. Mr Maganda was arrested in Iwemba Sub-county where he had been deployed to guard FDC candidate, Mr Bumali Luba’s votes.
Other arrested supporters were taken to Bugiri and Buwayo police stations.
The Busoga East region police commander, Mr Ashraf Chemonges, declined to comment on the arrests referring this reporter to the Director Police Operations, Mr Andrew Felix Kaweesi who was in charge of ensuring peaceful elections.
However, Mr Kaweesi said police has started its investigations into the arrests and an incident where some people, believed to be from the NRM camp attempted to grab and disappear with a ballot box at Butegwa polling Station.
In her remarks, the NRM Secretary General Ms Justine Kasule Lumumba vowed to unseat Bukooli Central MP, Mr Wafula Ogutu who also doubles as the LOP. Ms Lumumba said she will fight tooth and nail through mobilization to see that Mr Fred Mukisa, the NRM candidate in the Constituency beats Mr Wafula in the 2016 general elections.
She asked residents of Bugiri to remain united so as to promote development in the district.
