President Yoweri Museveni has called for investigations into alleged irregularities in the recent Kawempe North by-election, including ballot stuffing, voter intimidation, and result manipulation. The National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate, Faridah Nambi, was defeated by Erias Luyimbazi of the National Unity Platform (NUP), leading the NRM to reject the results and announce plans to challenge them in court
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In a statement released on March 16, Museveni emphasized the importance of holding those responsible accountable, referring to the alleged electoral malpractices as part of Uganda’s ongoing electoral issues since 1961. He specifically mentioned reports of ballot stuffing, altering results, voter intimidation, and the destruction of ballot boxes, particularly in the Kazo-Angola and Mbogo Mosque Zone areas
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Museveni urged NRM members to avoid electoral misconduct and instead build trust with voters through service. He also advocated for biometric verification to help ensure free and fair elections in the future.
The by-election saw Luyimbazi win with 17,764 votes (64.37%), while Nambi garnered 8,593 votes (31.2%). Following the loss, the NRM party has voiced its intention to legally contest the outcome, citing the alleged irregularities as the reason for undermining the election’s credibility.