Former Common Man’s Party (CMP) presidential candidate Mubarak Munyagwa Sserunga, popularly known as Mugati Gwa Butter, has renewed calls for sweeping electoral reforms, urging authorities to prioritize transparency, accountability and the integrity of the electoral process.
Speaking during NBS Eagle on Sunday, Munyagwa said there was an urgent need for meaningful changes in how presidential election results are handled and announced, arguing that current practices leave room for manipulation and weaken public confidence in elections.
“It is time for Ugandans to demand meaningful electoral reform. Presidential results should be announced at administrative centers to ensure transparency and to prevent manipulation during transmission,” he said.
The former Kawempe South Member of Parliament also criticised the absence of clear legal consequences for electoral officials implicated in malpractice, describing it as a major weakness in the country’s electoral framework.
“There should be a law that clearly penalizes electoral returning officers or presiding officers involved in vote rigging. Such a law does not exist, and that gap continues to enable electoral fraud,” Munyagwa said.
He argued that the lack of accountability mechanisms for election officials has contributed to repeated allegations of irregularities in past elections, eroding public confidence in democratic institutions and weakening trust in the electoral system.
Munyagwa said comprehensive reforms would not only restore faith in elections but also strengthen democratic governance by ensuring that electoral outcomes genuinely reflect the will of the people.