Independent candidate Asiimwe Francis Ntengye has rejected the outcome of the recently concluded Mbarara City South Division mayoral election, calling on the Electoral Commission to nullify the results and organise fresh polls.
Ntengye lost the race to National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Jomo Mugabi, who was declared winner after securing 14,277 votes against Ntengye’s 5,562.
Speaking to the media on Sunday, Ntengye accused Mugabi’s campaign team of engaging in widespread electoral malpractice, alleging that several of his polling agents were arrested on polling day while others were intimidated or blocked from performing their duties.
He cited an incident that allegedly occurred on January 27, 2026, at a polling station in Rubiri Cell, where one of his agents was reportedly removed from the station while distributing tags to fellow agents.
“My agent was at the polling station in Rubiri Cell. When she received tags to distribute to fellow agents, she was whisked away,” Ntengye said.
He further claimed that voter intimidation was reported at multiple polling stations across the division, including the Taxi Park polling station, where he alleged that a man identified as Diriisa Katende ordered taxi operators to line up and vote regardless of whether they appeared on the voter register.
“There was a lot of intimidation at several polling stations. At the Taxi Park polling station, a man called Diriisa Katende ordered all taxi operators to get in line and vote whether they were on the register or not,” he said.
Ntengye also questioned the credibility of voter turnout figures at one polling station in Rubiri, where 301 votes were reportedly cast out of 306 registered voters, translating to a turnout of more than 99 percent.
“We cannot have a polling station with 99 percent turnout, where 301 out of 306 voters cast their ballots. Some people are sick, others travel or relocate. That polling station in Rubiri needs to be investigated,” Ntengye said.
He said his legal team is preparing to challenge the results in court and insisted he would only accept the outcome after due process.
“We will definitely provide sufficient evidence when we go to court. I know we shall get justice, either so that I can concede defeat or be declared winner,” he added.
However, the Electoral Commission dismissed Ntengye’s claims, saying no formal complaint had been lodged by the candidate during the tallying process.
Mbarara City Returning Officer and Election Administrator Violet Atuhura said Ntengye did not raise any concerns at the tally centre, casting doubt on the basis of his public rejection of the results.
“We have not received any complaint from candidate Ntengye. He did not even appear at the tally centre to raise any concerns. We are just wondering where he is getting the energy to reject anything,” Atuhura said.