EDITOR
The Ntungamo District National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission has declared incumbent Ntungamo Municipality MP Yona Musinguzi Bikwasizehi as the official party flag bearer, based on results from a by-election held on Monday, despite a boycott of the vote by four other candidates who had earlier participated in the exercise.
The District NRM Registrar, Ms. Maria Baitwa Mirembe, declared Mr. Musinguzi, who polled 5,740 votes from the entire exercise, the winner over the four candidates: Philip Ankwasa Tumuhimbise (1,081), Edward Beyendeza Bekunda (423), Erick Nuwagira Kachafu (79), and Micheal Katurebe (791).
Mr. Ankwasa, Beyendeza, Kachafu, and Katureebe protested the vote, arguing that polling should have been held in the 13 polling stations they claimed never voted during the July 17 exercise, rather than the seven declared by the tribunal. Ntungamo Municipality has 26 cells that serve as polling stations under the NRM.
Mr. Musinguzi, who was injured in a fracas at a polling station in July, was never present in the constituency and was only represented by his brother, Mr. Emmanuel Mubangizi.
Mr. Beyendeza told journalists that the four candidates could not participate in the vote in protest of the tribunal ruling, which he said never took into consideration their plea and would have been a remedy to resolve the issues.
