Tribunal Orders Repeat Election in Bukono Constituency After Hon. Persis Namuganza’s Petition

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has ordered a repeat election in Kibaale Sub-County and Kibaale Town Council, Namutumba District, following a petition filed by Hon. Persis Namuganza, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Bukono Constituency and Minister of State for Housing.

The tribunal’s ruling, delivered on 19th August 2025, nullified the earlier declaration of Mr. Maganda Emmanuel Katooko as the NRM flag bearer for Bukono Constituency and directed that a fresh poll be conducted within 21 days in the two areas at the center of dispute.

Background of the Petition

The petition arose from the NRM party primaries held on 17th July 2025, in which five candidates contested for the Bukono parliamentary flag. According to the official results released by the NRM Electoral Commission on 21st July 2025, Mr. Maganda was declared winner with 32,226 votes, defeating Hon. Namuganza who polled 17,324 votes.

However, Hon. Namuganza rejected the results, citing widespread irregularities, fraud, and a flawed tallying process. Through her lawyer, Mr. Pande Norman, she argued that no lawful tallying of constituency results was conducted after chaos erupted at the tally center in Namutumba District, forcing the suspension of the process.

She further alleged that her agents were chased away from several polling stations, particularly in Kibaale Sub-County and Kibaale Town Council, where she claimed voting never took place and declaration forms were instead fraudulently filled.

Adding to her claims, Namuganza pointed to the arrest of her opponent by Uganda Police for alleged possession of declaration forms and polling materials, arguing that this incident confirmed malpractice.

Respondent’s Defense

In his defense, Mr. Maganda, represented by counsel Mr. John Isabirye, denied all allegations and insisted that the elections were validly conducted. He maintained that tallying was done at the designated center in Namutumba, and that he had been declared winner in the presence of his official agent.

He also dismissed claims of irregularities in Kibaale Sub-County and Kibaale Town Council, presenting declaration forms and video evidence that polling had taken place, some of which bore signatures of Namuganza’s own agents.

Maganda further denied allegations of being arrested with electoral materials, producing a police search report which indicated that no such items were found in his possession.

Tribunal’s Findings

After reviewing submissions from both parties and evidence presented, the Tribunal framed three issues for determination:

Whether the election was conducted in accordance with the NRM Election Guidelines and electoral laws. Whether the irregularities substantially affected the outcome.

Whether the petitioner was entitled to remedies.

The Tribunal found that while voting had indeed taken place in Kibaale Sub-County and Kibaale Town Council—supported by signed declaration forms—the tallying process in Namutumba was fatally flawed. Security officials, including senior police and military officers, confirmed in affidavits that tallying was abandoned amidst chaos and all materials transferred under police escort to the NRM Secretariat in Kampala.

This rendered the declaration issued on 19th July 2025 in Namutumba questionable, since tallying had not been completed at the lawful center. The Tribunal ruled that the process violated Regulation 41 of the NRM Election Regulations, which requires tallying to be conducted transparently at the designated center in the presence of candidates or their agents.

Accordingly, the Tribunal concluded that the irregularities substantially affected the results.

Orders of the Tribunal

The Tribunal therefore made the following orders:

The declaration of Mr. Maganda Emmanuel Katooko as the duly elected NRM flag bearer for Bukono Constituency is set aside.

A repeat election in Kibaale Sub-County and Kibaale Town Council shall be conducted within 21 days of the ruling.

The final declaration of the Bukono NRM flag bearer for Parliament shall depend on the outcome of the repeat election in the two areas.

The ruling was signed by Tribunal members Joseph Ogwang, Tendo Lubwama, and Panel Head John Musiime.

The Tribunal’s decision has reset the race for the NRM flag in Bukono. With a repeat election ordered in the two key areas, both Hon. Namuganza and Mr. Maganda will have to rally their supporters afresh, as the final outcome will be determined by the new polls.

The ruling is also a significant precedent within the NRM’s internal democratic process, emphasizing transparency and accountability in party primaries. It underscores the party’s commitment to addressing disputes fairly and ensuring the genuine will of its members is respected.

For Hon. Namuganza, the ruling represents a crucial opportunity to reclaim her political ground in Bukono. For Mr. Maganda, it is a challenge to reaffirm his victory under stricter scrutiny. Ultimately, the people of Bukono Constituency will decide who carries the NRM flag into the 2026 general elections.