Kawempe North by-election: EC finally confirms Nalukoola’s victory
Counsel Elias Luyimbaazi Nalukoola atop the car as he headed to NUP Party headquarters at Makerere Kavule to submit his academic credentials so as to express interest to contest on the party ticket for Kawempe North yesterday, 3rd February 2025. PHOTO | MICHAEL KAKUMIRIZI
What you need to know:
- The gazette notice also shows an increase in Mr Nalukoola's votes by 175.
The Electoral Commission has finally gazetted the results from the March 13, 2025 Kawempe North MP by-election which saw Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola declared the winner.
The gazette notice, however, indicates that the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, Faridah Nambi got 9,058 votes, contrary to the initial 8,593 declared by the returning officer on March 14.
"Notice is hereby given by Electoral Commission that the results for the Parliamentary by-election for the Directly Elected Member of Parliament, Kawempe Division North, Kampala Capital City in the Schedule to this Notice is hereby published in accordance with Section 78 (I) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap.177," reads the Gazette notice dated March 20, 2025 and signed by the EC chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama.
The gazette notice also shows an increase in Mr Nalukoola's votes by 175 ballots from the election that attracted 10 contestants.
After EC's gazette notice, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Mr Joel Ssenyonyi said: "The pressure from all corners has paid off. We're now awaiting the swearing-in of our colleague so he can serve Kawempe North and Uganda at large."
The development followed mounting pressure on the electoral commission to gazette the Mr Nalukoola, several days after he was declared the winner of the hotly contested bloody by-election held amid heavy deployment of security operatives, including UPDF and Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force (JATT).
At least 20 journalists who had been deployed to cover the elections were assaulted or arrested by security operatives during the exercise which also left several members of the opposition, especially the National Unity Platform (NUP) injured or arrested.
Earlier, NUP officials led by the Secretary-General, David Lewis Rubongoya stormed the EC offices to demand an explanation for the delays in gazetting him.
NRM's Faridah Nambi
Mr Rubongoya wondered why the commission had dragged its feet this time when it had previously acted swiftly in gazetting other winners, especially from the ruling National Resistance Movement.
“Like you've seen in many cases when there are by-elections, it takes just a few days for this to be gazetted. In some cases, people who have won these by-elections have been sworn in in three days, four days. And if you look at the record, most of those are the NRIM candidates and NRM-leaning candidates [who contested as Independents]. Now, in this particular case, after the regime did everything possible to prevent our candidate at the time from winning and he went on to win. We've seen an inordinate delay,” he said.
Below are the results polled by each of the 10 candidates who contested for the House seat;
S/N | Candidate's name | Political Party | Gazetted number of votes | Number of votes announced at tally centre |
1 | Edward Stanley Engena-Maitum | Independent | 23 | 22 |
2 | Henry Mubiru Kasacca | DP | 100 | 100 |
3 | Muhammad Lusswa Luwemba | Independent | 241 | 240 |
4 | Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola | NUP | 17,939 | 17,764 |
5 | Sadat Mukiibi | FDC | 243 | 239 |
6 | Hanifah Karadi Murerwa | Independent | 389 | 381 |
7 | Ismail Musiitwa | PPP | 39 | 39 |
8 | Muhamood Mutazindwa | Independent | 188 | 186 |
8 | Faridah Nambi Kigongo | NRM | 9,058 | 8,593 |
10 | Moses Nsereko | Independent | 32 | 32 |
