Ongoing voting for the NRM LC1 flag bearer at St. Gonzaga Kamuli Catholic Primary School, Kamuli A, Kireka, Kira Division, Wakiso District, on May 6, 2025. Robert Ntambi emerged winner as the NRM flag bearer for LC1 chairperson. PHOTO/ISAAC KASAMANI
Pockets of violence were recorded yesterday as the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party started to choose its candidates for the 2026 polls. The party faithful lined up to choose their preferred candidates across the 72,000 NRM-gazetted polling centres countrywide.
Arua City In Awindiri Cell, Onzivu Ward in Arua City, chaotic scenes played out between supporters of incumbent NRM village chairperson Mr Alex Oyer and his rival Mr Saidi Rashid. The supporters of the incumbent alleged that some voters were ferried from River Oli Ward in Arua Central Division to come and vote.
The police were called in to quell the chaotic situation and presiding officer Ms Gladys Alonyo declared Mr Oyer as the winner with 95 votes, with rival Mr Rashid collecting only five votes.
But Rashid, who cited unfairness in the polls, said: “Some of my voters were blocked from accessing the polling station to deny me victory. I do not accept the results and I will contest on an Independent ticket in the General Elections.”
Drama also unfolded at Baruku Central Cell when the name of one of the candidates couldn’t be traced in the yellow book register. The police were called in to stop the ensuing violence. But in Yumbe District, Mr Rashul Mawa, the NRM registrar for Barakala Town Council, said the elections were conducted peacefully. Barakala Town Council has 17 cells, with six candidates sailing through unopposed, while some incumbents lost to new entrants.
Voters arrive at the Wabigalo Church Zone polling station, Makindye Division, for the NRM Local Council elections on May 6, 2021. However, turnout remains low, with many attributing the delay to the morning downpour in Kampala. Photo by Sylivia Katushabe
Ntungamo Municipality
Polling at Mpaama Village, Eastern Division, Ntungamo Municipality, ended prematurely after chaos erupted. Mr Alosious Katureebe, a resident of the village, said voting kicked off around midday, but turned chaotic when the residents started lining up behind their preferred candidates.
Five candidates, including incumbent chairperson Gerald Byarugaba, were nominated. “Hell broke loose when the presiding officer started counting votes from the line behind the incumbent. She had counted about 63 people when the party members started fighting,” Mr Katureebe said.
As the situation escalated, the presiding officer halted the counting and fled the station without declaring a winner. By press time, residents remained uncertain about the outcome of the election. The Ntungamo deputy district NRM returning officer, Mr Hilary Asiimire, said most of the polling stations had a smooth exercise.
“We have over 1,300 polling stations where voting is taking place although we have reports of over 100 cases of violence and other irregularities,” Mr Asiimire said.
In Kasese District
The police in Rwenzori East Region locked up the NRM registrar for Ibanda–Kyanya Town Council in Busongora County North constituency, following the disappearance of 15 party registers with names of voters listed for the exercise.
The suspect, Mr Moris Kitenge, was by Tuesday evening being held at Ibanda–Kyanya Police Station. He is expected to be arraigned in court once police complete their inquiries.
Reports say NRM party officials who were deployed to supervise elections in various villages raised the alarm after waiting in vain for Mr Kitenge to distribute the voter registers.
Mr Nelson Tumushime, the Rwenzori East Region Police spokesperson, said: “It is alleged the registrar tampered with the register. That prompted us to swing into action and arrest him.”
He said the police are making efforts to recover the missing registers to allow the affected villages to participate in the elections.
Mbale and Tororo
Polling was also marred by chaotic scenes as some party members not listed in the register were allowed to vote at many polling stations. This prompted the NRM Electoral Commission in Tororo to cancel the results of three polling stations in Tororo Municipality.
Ms Sovereign Hasahya, the NRM technical supervisor in charge of Tororo Municipality in Bukedi I, said the results were cancelled after the voters became violent.
“In other polling stations, angry voters overpowered the party registrars and voted without having their names in the registers. In Agur ''A''2 village in Agururu ''A'' Parish Western Division Tororo Municipality, unknown people grabbed the voter register and vanished with it. We are liaising with the police to trace the registers,” she said.
Violence was also reported in Amagoro ''A'' North in Eastern Division, Agururu ''A'' 3 where voters were reportedly ferried from villages where elections were not taking place after the majority of candidates went through unopposed.
Nonetheless, the district NRM party registrar, Mr Joseph Kadokech, said elections in most of the areas were peaceful. At Paradise Hostel polling station in Nabuyonga Ward in Mbale City, more people voted than those recorded in the party register. Mr Rogers Manana won the election after garnering 301 votes.
Sembabule District
Chaotic scenes were also witnessed in various constituencies, forcing the postponement of the election in more than eight villages.
In Bugologolo Village in Lwemiyaga Constituency, voters disrupted the process after the election of the chairperson, Mr Juma Kabagambire. Party members led by Lwemiyaga Sub-county Woman Councillor, Ms Molly Rwabushaija, stormed the station, claiming some voters were not residents in the village and that the army was also involved in the election.
In the rest of the villages, the exercise was smooth and at Lwemiyaga LC1 A, the area Member of Parliament, Mr Theodore Ssekikubo, was elected as the village committee secretary.
In Mawogola West constituency elections in the villages of Vvunza, Lusaana B, Bbulakati and Kenziga were postponed and in Mawogola South at Kibengo, Mateete and Kibulala, the exercise was also cancelled over irregularities in registers.
Sironko District
At Bukomba Cell in Mutufu Town Council, voting also turned chaotic after a section of NRM party members destroyed voting materials. The State minister of Karamoja, who was also the District Woman MP, Ms Florence Nambozo, voted from here.
Iganga District Violence was reported in Nampirika, Nakalama Sub-county, leaving several people
injured. The trouble started when Mr Farouk Namapala, a candidate, accused his opponent, Pastor Stephen Walekwa, of ferrying in voters to influence the election outcome.
Tensions escalated as Ms Namapala's supporters reportedly attacked suspected "imported voters," dragging them out of the queue and beating them with sticks and stones. Several people suffered serious injuries, including deep cuts to their bodies and were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The presiding officer, Mr Joshua Nyange, was evacuated on a motorcycle, with the elections halted. The police were heavily deployed to restore order.
Kayunga postpones polls
In Kyampisi Trading Centre in Kayunga Sub-county in Kayunga District, voting was postponed after one of the candidates, Mr Paul Wanomba, said his competitor, Mr Jacob Kato, had presented his payment receipt to the registrar past the deadline.
Mr Solomon Baleke, the deputy RDC, intervened and rushed to the district NRM office, which clarified that Mr Kato’s payment receipt was issued by the party office and asked that the exercise continue, but Mr Wanomba refused, saying his voters had already left.
At Ndeeba Village in Kayunga Town Council, hundreds of residents who were not in the register but turned up at the voting centre asked the village registrar to allow them to vote, but the RDC, Ms Mariam Seguya, rejected their pleas.
Mr Moses Karangwa, the Kayunga District NRM chairperson, said in some villages the election was postponed after the candidates contested the outcome, while others claimed some of the voters were not in the register.
Kabale Municipality
Voting in two villages of Rushambya and Kiirwa in Kabale Municipality was postponed after the registrars failed to follow the election guidelines. The Kabale District NRM party elections officer, Ms Babra Ainebyoona, said her office would schedule another day when the elections in the two villages will be conducted.
At Nyakambu Cell at Kamukyira Health Centre IV, the election was peaceful, although out of more than 800 voters in the NRM party register, only 34 turned up for the exercise.
At Central East Cell at Kabale Central Police Station, the election was held twice after claims of voter bribery and ineligible voters taking part in the election. Ms Immaculate Mbabazi later won the election with 137 votes against 41 for Francis Byamukama Ntemere.
In Kanungu District, the ICT and National Guidance minister, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, who also doubles as the NRM National vice chairperson, western region, said the elections were peaceful. He took part in the election at his village in Kayungwe Sub-county, Kanungu District.
What they say.
We have over 1,300 polling stations where voting is taking place although we have reports of over 100 cases of violence and other irregularities,’’
– Mr Hilary Asiimire, The Ntungamo deputy District NRM returning officer.
We had kicked off well with for LC1 chairpersons, NRM structures, elderly champions, and other positions. However, chaos broke out during the election for the youth representative,’’
– Mr Shaban Ali, the NRM Electoral Officer for Moru Apesur Ward, Soroti City.
Exercise peaceful in Lango, Acholi Sub-region
In Kwania, elections did not take place in Obolocani Village, Ajar Parish, Chawente Sub-county, where Kwania County Member of Parliament, Mr Tonny Ayo, hails from. Here, those who were in the NRM leadership positions unanimously agreed to share the positions.
In Alebtong, the Government Chief Whip, Mr Denis Hamson Obua, voted at Amindit Village, Abwori Parish, Abako Sub-county in Alebtong District.
In Amolatar, Mr Felix Adupa Ongwech, an NRM cadre who previously contested for the Kioga County parliamentary seat in 2021 but lost to FDC’s Moses Bitek Okot, voted from Odyak Village in Muntu Sub-county. Mr Adupa is among seven prominent personalities who are battling for the position of the NRM northern region vice-chairperson, to succeed Jacob Oulanyah, who died on March 20, 2022.
Mr James Cosmas Okidi, the Gulu Deputy RDC, said they clustered the district into zones for easy management of security during the election, and everything went according to plan.
The NRM Secretary General, Mr Richard Todwong, earlier oversaw the village community meetings (barazas) and election of LC1 flag bearers in a section of Wards in Purongo Town Council, Nwoya District.
Election for special interest group committees (youth, PWDs and older persons) will take place on May 24.
Compiled by Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, George Muron, Felix Warom Okello, Clement Aluma, Robert Elema, Antonio Kalyango, Alex Ashaba, Moureen Biira, David Ssekayinga, Rajab Mukombozi, Jovita Kyarisiima, Julius Byamukama, Okoodi Deo, Fred Muzaale, Ronald Kabanza, Perez Rumanzi, Hillary Twinamatsiko, Enock Matovu, Perez Rumanzi, Santo Ojok, Robert Muhereza, Emmanuel Arineitwe, Asuman Musobya, Abubaker Kirunda, Tausi Nakato, Denis Edema, Bill Oketch, James Owich, & Simon Peter Emwamu
