- President Yoweri Museveni requested inquiries into reported inconsistencies during the Kawempe North by-election, citing issues such as ballot tampering and voter coercion.
- The NRM candidate Faridah Nambi was defeated by NUP’s Erias Luyimbazi, which led the NRM to dispute the outcome and consider taking legal action.
- Museveni advised NRM members to steer clear of electoral misconduct, stressing the importance of gaining voters' confidence through dedicated service.
- He promoted the use of biometric verification to guarantee transparent elections, tackling Uganda’s extensive record of electoral misconduct.
Didacus Malowa, a journalist with CDRNEWS.co.ke, comes with more than three years of expertise in reporting on politics and contemporary issues within Kenya.
Kampala Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has demanded an electoral and criminal probe into supposed discrepancies during the recently completed Kawempe North by-election.
The National Resistance Movement (NRM), headed by Museveni, faced a significant setback when the National Unity Platform (NUP) contender, Erias Luyimbazi Nalukoola, emerged victorious.
On Sunday, March 16, Museveni addressed several issues reported during the election period including ballot box stuffing, tampering with results, intimidating voters, and damaging voting equipment, notably in areas such as Kazo-Angola and Mbogo Mosque Zone.
He pledged to bring those responsible to justice, characterizing the supposed misconducts as part of Uganda’s ongoing election-related issues dating back to 1961.
In the by-election, Luyimbazi won with 17,764 votes, which accounted for 64.37% of all votes cast. The runner-up was Faridah Nambi from the NRM party, who received 8,593 votes, representing 31.2% of the total.
Why was the NRM opposed to accepting the by-election results?
Museveni's NRM has formally dismissed the by-election outcomes, pointing to significant instances of electoral misconduct.
The party has decided to contest the result in court, claiming that the discrepancies compromised the legitimacy of the election.
The following accusations have emerged: vote rigging through stuffed ballots, tampered results, destruction of ballot boxes in areas like Kazo-Angola and Mbogo Mosque zone, presumably because certain individuals wished to exclude their votes. Additionally, there was unauthorized campaign activity at polling stations, instances of intimidation, and acts of violence among others,” Museveni said.
He likewise tackled worries regarding the significant presence of security personnel during the elections, clarifying that the military stepped in because certain opposition factions were engaging in disruptive behavior.
What is Museveni's appeal to his party?
The leader of the country also encouraged the governing party to avoid participating in any unfair election practices as some rival factions were reportedly engaging in such actions.
He urged leaders within the NRM to work for the betterment of Ugandans so as to gain their confidence and secure votes during elections.
"The NRM members should not justify their own dishonesty by claiming that the opposition is engaging in such behavior too; they must set higher standards. They need to work towards eliminating the disenfranchisement of Ugandans. This was one of the reasons the NRM took up arms," Museveni stated firmly.
Museveni highlighted that ballot stuffing and various forms of electoral misconduct have long tainted Uganda’s elections, leading to political unrest over the years.
The president restated his dedication to guaranteeing transparent and impartial elections, emphasizing the implementation of biometric authentication to avoid electoral malpractices.
"Ballot-stuffing has been going on since 1961. That is how Uganda ended up being unstable. Leaders do not concentrate on solving people’s problems because they know they can cheat and be in power whether the people support them or not. This will stop.That is why we are insisting on only bio-metric verification," he stated.