Lillian Ruteraho, a former Resident District Commissioner for Kagadi, has been declared the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer for the Isingiro District Woman Member of Parliament seat following a tense and delayed vote tallying process at the party’s headquarters in Kyadondo, Kampala.
NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi announced the final results on Tuesday, confirming Ruteraho’s win with 67,459 votes—representing 46.1% of the total ballots cast.
She triumphed over five other contenders, including incumbent MP Clare Mugumya, who garnered only 13,351 votes (9.1%).
The vote tallying had initially been suspended last Friday due to security concerns raised at district level. The process was later moved to Kampala, where officials completed the verification of Declaration of Results (DR) forms from across Isingiro and concluded the exercise without further incident.
Jastine Ayebazibwe secured second place with 41,441 votes (28.3%), followed by Janepher Tindigwa Ninsiima with 16,207 votes (11.1%).
Sulaina Kigongo and Mayleen Ninsiima Kaamu received 4,307 (2.9%) and 3,479 (2.9%) votes respectively.
In her victory speech, Ruteraho thanked her supporters and acknowledged the challenges faced during the primaries.
“This victory is not mine alone; it belongs to the people of Isingiro who believed in me,” she said. “I want to thank my supporters for standing by me through a very challenging journey.”
She also praised the NRM Electoral Commission for managing a credible process amid the tensions.
“I appreciate the efforts of Dr. Tanga Odoi and his team for upholding fairness and protecting the credibility of our party’s democratic processes,” she added.
Ruteraho’s victory marks a notable political resurgence, particularly given her previous role as an RDC and her ability to unseat a sitting MP within the party primaries.
Her success is widely viewed as a testament to strong grassroots mobilization and voter outreach in the rural district.
She now heads into the 2026 general elections as the official NRM candidate, where she will compete against aspirants from other political parties for the Isingiro Woman MP seat.
Party insiders say the outcome underscores shifting political allegiances in Isingiro, as voters gravitate toward candidates with local presence and administrative experience.
