Four NRM parliamentary aspirants in Ntungamo Municipality are calling on President Yoweri Museveni to annul the recent party primaries, citing widespread fraud, violence, and abuse of power.
The aspirants claim the electoral process was deeply flawed and are demanding a fresh and credible election.
In a July 119 joint petition addressed to the NRM National Chairperson, the aspirants—Phillip Ankwasa Tumuhimbise, Michael Katureebe, Edward Beyendeza, and Eric Nuwagira Kacafu—expressed “deep concern and alarm” over what they described as blatant electoral irregularities during the primaries in Ntungamo Municipality.
Among the most serious allegations raised is the reported tampering with declaration forms. The petition claims that at several polling stations, forms were forged, seized from agents, or completely falsified.
In one cited case at Kikoni polling station, voting reportedly took place but declaration forms were allegedly destroyed by supporters of incumbent MP Yona Musinguzi after he lost, resulting in unrecorded results.
The petition also accuses the incumbent of orchestrating violence and intimidation, claiming polling agents and supporters were beaten, kidnapped, or threatened.
One of the cases highlighted involves an agent, John Sempija, who was allegedly abducted, assaulted, and robbed, with the incident reported under police reference SD 37/17/7/2025.
They further allege that a serving officer, only identified as Lt. Col. Mudoko, fired live bullets in the air to disperse voters at Nyabubare polling station, before forging results in the absence of actual voting.
The petitioners also point to the alleged use of biased electoral officials, claiming that many village registrars openly supported Musinguzi and manipulated the voting process.
In some instances, they say registrars facilitated illegal voting or abandoned their roles altogether.
The candidates further allege that nonresidents were ferried into the municipality on the eve of the vote, including students and individuals not on the voters’ register, to cast ballots illegally.
These individuals, they claim, carried forged identity cards and were used to both swell Musinguzi’s vote and intimidate legitimate voters.
Of additional concern to the petitioners are claims that Musinguzi misused President Museveni’s name, allegedly telling voters that he had been personally endorsed by the party chairman and was operating with military backing.
“This is not only impersonation and abuse of your name,” the petition reads, “but also ideological terrorism used to coerce voters and suppress other candidates.”
Several polling stations—such as Nyakihanga, Nyabubare, Rukindo, Mpaama, and Kikoni—reportedly did not conduct voting or faced deliberate interference.
In other places, they allege results were declared without any actual voting, and in some cases, the tallied numbers exceeded the number of registered voters.
The petition also accuses Musinguzi of engaging in vote-buying, alleging that he distributed cash and coupons on election day, promising voters Shs45,000, with Shs5,000 reportedly paid in advance.
They claim to have video evidence and samples of the distributed coupons.
Additionally, they allege Musinguzi falsely claimed to have received personal endorsement and funding from the NRM District Chairperson—who is also First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports—asserting that this created confusion and damaged the party’s image in the area.
In their letter, the aspirants present four main demands to President Museveni:
- Total nullification of the Ntungamo Municipality NRM primaries due to alleged irregularities.
- A fresh, fair election conducted under strict supervision, with neutral registrars and adequate security.
- An investigation into the conduct of Yona Musinguzi and others implicated in the alleged abuse of party structures.
- Disciplinary action against officials who compromised the integrity of the electoral process.
They warn that failure to address these grievances could erode public trust in the party.
“People are losing faith in party structures. If such injustices are allowed to stand, the opposition will find growing support among disillusioned voters,” the petition concludes.
The NRM Electoral Commission and relevant party organs are yet to issue a response.
