The National Resistance Movement has attributed its recent losses in some LC.3 chairperson races in Kabale District to internal divisions within Ndorwa County West.
Kabale District NRM Publicity Secretary Edison Turyahabwa, also known as Political, said during a press briefing that rivalry between factions aligned to State Minister of Industry David Bahati and Ndorwa County West Member of Parliament–elect Eliab Naturinda Mporera weakened the party’s performance in the affected areas.
Although the NRM won 12 out of the 15 LC.3 chairperson positions contested in the district, representing about 80 percent of the races, it lost in Rubaya and Butanda subcounties in Ndorwa County West, as well as in Southern Division of Kabale Municipality.
Turyahabwa explained that political tensions between Minister Bahati and Mporera negatively affected support for NRM candidates, particularly in areas where Bahati had already performed poorly in the January 15, 2026 parliamentary elections, which he lost to Mporera.
“In Ndorwa West, the divisions affected our mobilisation and voter turnout for party candidates, especially in subcounties where the parliamentary contest had already created tension,” Turyahabwa said.
He further attributed the NRM loss in Kabale Municipality’s Southern Division to voter sympathy toward an independent candidate.
“In the Southern Division, voters appeared to give a sympathy vote to independent candidate Kamusiime Macklean Batware, whose father had died two days before polling.
Batware won the race with 2,980 votes, defeating NRM candidate Arthur Asiimwe, who received 974,” Turyahabwa noted.
The NRM leadership in Kabale District said it is reviewing the internal disagreements that emerged during the election period, with the aim of restoring unity ahead of future local and national contests.
