The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Masindi, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There is confusion in Masindi district, over the rightful winner of the National Resistance Movement flag for the District chairpersons contest.
The confusion erupted after Masindi district chairperson Cosmas Byaruhanga and Wilson Isingoma Mugimba turned up for the nomination both presenting documents from the NRM party secretariat endorsing them as the legitimate flag bearers.
Cosmas Byaruhanga, the incumbent chairman was declared NRM Flagbearer for Masindi district on September 11, 2020, after polling 24,724 votes against Wilson Mugimba’s 20,809 votes. However, Mugimba petitioned the NRM Electoral Commission contesting the results.
Judgement was delivered on Wednesday evening giving Mugimba victory. But at that time, Byaruhanga had already been nominated as the NRM candidate in the race. Efforts by Mugimba to be nominated on Thursday were frustrated when the District Registrar John Paul Osinde told him that they could not nominate two candidates from the same political party.
Osinde explained that Byaruhanag was duly nominated by the Electoral Commission as the NRM flag bearer after presenting documents that were signed by the NRM district chairperson on behalf of the party Secretary-General. He adds that at the time, there was no communication from the NRM Party secretariate stopping Byaruhanga from being nominated.
The situation became tense after Byaruhanga secured an order from Masindi High Court stopping the Electoral Commission from nominating Mugimba as the NRM party candidate. Osinde, however, declined to receive the court order and advised Byaruhanga to deliver it to the Electoral Commission headquarters in Kampala.
Mugimba was later nominated as an independent candidate. Speaking shortly after being nominated, Mugimba said that he is the rightful NRM Flagbearer for the position having been handed the party flag by the party secretariat that overturned Byaruhanga’s election.
Masindi District NRM Party Chairperson Kabakumba Matsiko declined to comment on the matter and instead referred URN to the party headquarters saying the matter is beyond her.
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