NRM sweeps youth polls, Opposition makes gains

Provisional results from the National Youth Village elections show that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has won in majority of the districts.

The party, however, suffered setback in some areas, as Opposition made some gains, especially in urban areas and some predominantly NRM strongholds.

Opposition parties such as National Unity Platform (NUP), which is led by Kyaddondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, registered wins.

The positions which were contested for included chairperson, vice chairperson, general secretary, publicity secretary, secretary for women and youth, secretary for students affairs, secretary for labour affairs, secretary for sports and culture and the secretary for finance.

The voters lined up behind candidates, their portraits, symbols or agent, in compliance with health guidelines to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Tororo
In Tororo for example, Mr Eric Gimei, the district returning officer, said the NRM took the lead with 80 per cent of seats followed by NUP with 15 per cent.
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party came third with three percent followed by independents, who got 1.5 per cent. The Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) came last with 0.5 per cent.

“Apart from the isolated cases, the elections were generally peaceful. This is the first time that the Electoral Commission (EC) is witnessing peaceful youth elections and this illustrates maturity among the age group,” Mr Gimei said.

He added that the police contained the few isolated cases of violence in some places in Tororo Municipality.
In Mbale District, the NRM secured 88.2 per cent of the seats followed by independents with 11.7 per cent.
The FDC and NUP came third with 0.1 per cent each. Other parties, including Democratic Party (DP) and Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) did not win any position.

In Mbale City, the NRM took 90 per cent of the seats, independents secured 17 per cent, NUP and FDC each garnered 0.1 per cent.

Violent incidents
Mr Charles Rebero, the district returning officer, said the election was peaceful apart from a few isolated incidents.

“There were some disruptions, mostly in urban areas but in rural areas, elections were peaceful,” he said, adding that police restrained unruly youth.
Most of the cases of chaos were reported in Nauyo –Bugema, Nakaloke and Nkoma in Mbale City.

In Bududa District, the returning officer, Mr Ronald Nsereko, said a total of 1,111 youth chairpersons were elected out of which 92 per cent were from the NRM and only 11 per cent were independents. We had candidates from NUP, FDC and other parties,” he said.

In Budaka, the district returning officer, Ms Norah Lunyolo, said most of the seats were taken by NRM.

“I do not have figures for each party now, but majority of the seats were won by NRM party,” she said.
In Lira, the party won both at the district and city level by 96 per cent.

Mr John Paul Osinde, the district returning officer, said 292 NRM youth were elected as village chairpersons.
The UPC came second with 74 slots while independents took 46 seats, and FDC got only two positions.

In Lira City, 107 youth were elected as village chairpersons under NRM, UPC got 35 positions, independents had 28 while FDC had none.
Mr Osinde said the election was free and fair without any major challenge.

“The only major challenge we had was West Division in Lira City where some youth tried to cause violence but police restored order,” he said.
In Masaka City, NUP won majority of the seats . In Kimanya Parish in Kimanya Kabonera Sub-county, NUP garnered 43 votes followed by NRM with two votes while DP had none.

In Ssenya Parish still in Kimanya Kabonera, NUP secured 44 votes against NRM’s 10 votes while DP got none.
However, in Kyamuliibwa in Kimanya Kabonera, NRM got 77 votes, beating NUP which got 28 votes and DP had done.
In Fortal Portal City, 168 elected village chairpersons were from NRM and 45 were independents. The NUP, FDC, DP did not win any seats in the village committees.
In Kabarole District, 293 elected chairpersons were from NRM, 36 from independents and one for FDC.

By press time yesterday, other constituencies had not yet returned the declaration forms for the results.
In Mbarara District, the NRM party took majority seats. Results released by Mr Latif Ngonzi, the district registrar, indicated that out of the 488 positions for youth chairpersons, NRM got 457 seats, independents (28) , FDC got two and ANT had one vote. The rest of the parties did not get any seat.

For the position of vice chairperson, NRM got 455 positions, independents 23, FDC and ANT got one seat each.
“In summary, the NRM party got 93 per cent, independents 6.7 per cent, FDC 0.24 per cent, ANT 0.1 per cent. The rest of the parties did not get any positions,” Mr Ngonzi said.

In Omoro District, Mr Denis Obong, the returning officer, said many of the positions were taken by the NRM. The same was reported in Lamwo District.
“We are still compiling results but NRM is leading in most of the positions, especially the chairpersons followed by independent candidates,” Mr Samuel Olet, the Lamwo returning officer, said.
In Bunyangabu District, NRM party won most of the elective positions.

Out of 329 villages, NRM won 300, NUP and ANT got one each and 27 were from independents.
Mr Paul Bukenya, the EC acting spokesperson, said the exercise is still going on smoothly.

GOOD INDICATOR - NRM

Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the NRM secretariat director of communications, said provisional results indicate that NRM had secured more than 80 per cent of the seats in the youth elections.

“This is a good opinion poll ahead of the coming elections. We are happy. We only had challenges in urban areas where our supporters fear to offer themselves as candidates because they are always harassed by Opposition forces,” he said.

Mr Akim Watenyeri, the UPC vice chairperson in the eastern region, dismissed the results, saying the NRM government only wins through bribery. “They were bribed. The elite youth cannot no longer tolerate this corrupt system,” he said.

Compiled by Fred Wambede, Bill Oketch, Patrick Ebong, Joseph Omollo, Malik Fahad Jjingo, Mudagha Kolyangha,Rajab Mukombozi, Felix Basiime, Alex Ashaba & Geoffret Okot

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