There will be no election for the directly elected Member of Parliament for Budiope East constituency after incumbent Moses Hashim Magogo was declared unopposed, the Buyende District Returning Officer has confirmed.
Buyende District election registrar and returning officer George William Eriau said the development followed a High Court decision that upheld the Electoral Commission’s disqualification of Mr Daniel Mulirire, the last remaining challenger in the race.
Speaking to voters after receiving election materials on Monday, Eriau said the court ruling effectively brought the parliamentary contest to an end.
“The High Court upheld the decision of the Electoral Commission to disqualify candidate Daniel Mulirire. This leaves the incumbent, Moses Hashim Magogo of the NRM, as the only candidate, and therefore there will be no voting for the directly elected MP for Budiope East,” Eriau said.
He clarified that voters in the constituency will still participate in the presidential and Woman Member of Parliament elections as scheduled.
Eriau urged voters to remain calm and peaceful and encouraged them to turn up in large numbers to exercise their right to vote, assuring them that the Electoral Commission will deliver a credible electoral process.
Magogo’s unopposed return has generated mixed reactions among residents of Budiope East. Some voters said the outcome became inevitable after his closest rival, Godfrey Dhamuzungu, withdrew from the race, citing the death of his father and pressure from his family.
Other aspirants, including Stephen Bangalana, Rabin Peere and Resty Nsiro, were also disqualified following petitions challenging their nominations.
While some residents have alleged that candidates were pressured or influenced to withdraw, others argued that the disqualifications denied voters an opportunity to make a direct choice at the ballot.
During an NRM mobilisation event in Buyende District, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among congratulated Magogo on being declared unopposed, saying his track record in service delivery made the outcome unsurprising.
“It is not a surprise that he is unopposed. He has delivered for his people, although some did not want him to go through easily,” Among said, adding that his role as NRM district chairperson now gives him a broader responsibility across the district.
Some district civil servants welcomed the development, saying Magogo has worked closely with technocrats to support government programmes and attract resources to the district.
However, a group identifying itself as Team Tweyambe Beene cautioned against complacency, saying Magogo should remain accountable despite being unopposed.
“We are aware of the circumstances under which he became unopposed. We shall reorganise and continue to hold him accountable on service delivery,” the group said in a statement.
Tomasi Ngole, a supporter of Daniel Mulirire, criticised the disqualification process, arguing that allowing candidates to compete freely would have strengthened public confidence and democratic accountability.
In response, Magogo said his commitment to serving the people of Budiope East remains firm, adding that no amount of pressure or criticism would deter him from pursuing his development agenda.