The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nyabushozi County MP Col Fred Mwesigye has been declared the winner of the National Resistance Movement-NRM flag in Nyabushozi County after the cancellation of the repeated primary elections initially scheduled for today, October 6, 2020.
The declaration follows a decision by contenders to withdraw from the race. Col Mwesigye had initially contested with Ambassador Wilson Kajwengye and Christopher Bakashaba. The initial results released on September 5, 2020 had given Col Mwesigye a lead with 36,147 votes against Kajwengye’s 13,248 votes while Christopher Bakashaba came third with 5,601 votes.
But Kajwengye challenged the results and petitioned the earlier declarations made by the Kiruhura district NRM returning officer, David Agom Andinda citing voter bribery, intimidation and malpractice.
In his petition, Kajwengye and his supporters asked for President Yoweri Museveni’s intervention to restore sanity in the process. The president intervened to set up a team of investigators whose report indicated that there were 56 villages whose results were changed. They also accused Kajwengye of causing chaos and disrupting voting in 28 of the 200 polling stations across the constituency.
President Museveni then directed that fresh voting be conducted in the 28 villages. However, voting was only organized to happen at only 26 polling stations. But while residents of the said villages prepared to vote today, Ambassador Wilson Kajwengye announced that he was withdrawing from the race.
In a letter dated October 5, addressed to the chairperson National Resistance Movement Electoral Commission, Kajwengye decided not to participate in the fresh elections that have been organized to take place in 26 villages basing on the reasons that the commission has no heed to president’s advice and directives.
Christopher Bakashaba another contestant also withdrew noting that the rescheduled voting in 26 villages will not be free and fair. Kiruhura district NRM returning officer David Agom Andinda confirmed that Kajwengye had communicated his decision to pull out of the race.
Meanwhile, Dr Tanga Odoi, the NRM Electoral Commission chairman also confirmed that the rescheduled election for Nyabushozi have been cancelled after the main contender pulled out.
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