NRM’s Mujungu bounces back to Parliament after Busongora South by-election win
NRM's Gideon Mujungu Thembo celebrates alongside the party's electoral commission chairman Mr Tanga Odoi and Secretatry for mobilsation Ms Rosemary Sseninde afater being declared winner in the Thursday by-election. PHOTO | ALEX ASHABA
National Resistance Movement (NRM)’s Gideon Mujungu Thembo, can now breathe a sigh of relief as he takes back his Parliamentary seat, after he was Thursday declared the duly elected Member of Parliament for Busongora South County.
Mr Mujungu polled 12,088 votes against his main challenger, Mr Jackson Mbaju of the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) who polled 6,866.
The poll attracted seven candidates including Aloysius Baguma Kighema (FDC), Bernadette Businge (DP), and Independents Juma Munezero, Doreen Izagiire and David Mulindwa Isimbwa.
However, Munezero withdrew candidature on Wednesday in favour of the NRM candidate during Vice President Jessica Alupo’s visit to the area.
Mr Mujungu had been thrown out of Parliament after the Court of Appeal on June 22 nullified his 2021 victory and ordered the Electoral Commission (EC) to organize fresh polls in Busongora South Constituency in Kasese District.
Citing electoral irregularities, Mr Jackson Mbaju who came second in the race challenged the ruling party legislator’s win in court.
In his appeal, Mbaju produced evidence showing that at least three dead people voted in addition to registered voters at some polling stations.
Some three other people swore affidavits proving they were in Saudi Arabia when the constituency voted in 2021 yet election officials ticked their ballots.
More evidence brought to court by the complainant showed that voters exceeded the 100 registered electorates at Busunga Primary School polling Station.
During the general election last year, Mr Mujungu won by a margin of 79 votes. His immediate rival Mr Mbaju who was then Independent, obtained 7,522 votes in a race that had 10 candidates.
The victory for Mujungu also shows that NRM has taken over Kasese which had for a long time been an FDC stronghold.
