Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC) Betty Bamukwatsa Muzanira has won the hotly contested Rukungiri Woman MP by-election. She was declared winner by the Electoral Commission at around 5:25am today morning.

Muzanira polled 50,611 votes against ruling party, National Resistance Movement’s (NRM), Winfred Matsiko who polled 46,329 votes. 

Betty Bamukwatsa Muzanira campaigning with opposition doyen Kizza Besigye earlier

Independent candidate Prisca Mbaguta got 993 votes while People’s Progressive Party candidate Fabith  Kukundakwe got 183 votes. 

The seat fell vacant last month after Court of Appeal nullified Masiko’s election and ordered for a by-election following a petition by Muzanira. Muzanira lost to Masiko in the February 2016 elections but petitioned court citing voter bribery.

High court judge Wilson Kwesiga had on August 8, 2016 dismissed Munazira’s petition with costs, but the petitioner took the matter to the Court of Appeal which overturned the High court’s decision.

Justices of the Court of Appeal stated that Muzanira’s evidence proved that Masiko made donations during the campaign period at Kibale and Nyarushanje Catholic churches.

The by-election was marred by allegations of voter bribery, voter intimidation among election malpractices others including the alteration of results from Burora parish polling station. 

While the declaration (DR) forms (signed by all candidates’ agents) that the opposition had in their possession, indicated that Masiko had got 276 votes against Muzanira’s 117 votes, results before the Electoral Commission showed that Masiko had polled 695 votes against Muzanira’s 80 votes at the the same polling station.

“Following an objection against the results I received for Burora parish headquarters in Burora parish Nyarushangye sub-county, as required by law and as returning officer I receive results sealed in an envelope. Specifically, I discovered that the number of invalid votes were varying in the two DR forms. I also noticed some discrepancies in the number of unused ballot papers. So in light of the above, I have deemed it fit not to include the results of Burora parish headquarters in the final tally.” Rukungiri district Electoral Commission registrar Umar Kiyimba. 

On confirmation and admission of results falsification by electoral officials Kiyimba henceforth suspended the tallying exercise for about two hours. He then nullified the results from that polling station, prompting NRM’s Masiko to storm out of the tallying centre in protest. 

“I object to this, because, first of all in the municipality, there is where I get 24 and they get over 200, 300 votes why? For them they are not complaining and now this very station they go and complain. How come they complain? What is the anomaly in that regard? How come when the variation is huge in their favour they keep quiet and I know most of those areas they are complaining about is where they had ransomed. If their agents signed, my agents signed, and the results are there and they are not beyond the number of people that are in that polling station, why should be considered invalid. I object to that.” said Masiko. 

At around 03:07hrs power went off at the tallying centre, triggering instantaneous allegations from the opposition camp who were by now seeing victory was within grasp. 

Darkness at the tally centre

This is the second opposition victory in a row since the MPs’ amendment of the Constitution to lift the age limits. Earlier in March, FDC’s Paul Mwiru also won the Jinja East by-election. 

In both by-elections the opposition themed their campaigns on the age limit amendment. 

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition, Winnie Kiiza has implored the Electoral Commission to punish its officials who attempted to doctor the results, saying their actions lead to wastage of time and resources due to repeated court appeals and by-elections. 

“I heard the spokesperson of the Electoral Commission talking about Shs 800m that has been spent in this campaign and that was just on the part of the Electoral Commission. We’re not talking about the different amounts of money of the different political parties. May we know whether you intend to follow up on this matter or we should follow it up as citizens of this country who’re interested in seeing elections being carried out in a free and a fair manner. We want to know whether you’re going to really make any action,” she said.

Heavily armed forces including the army and police remain camped in all sub counties and the municipality. The exercise registered a low turn up with most voters opting to stay away.

Police earlier arrested ten people among them former Rukungiri District LCV chairman, Athanasius Rutaro over alleged voter bribery and inciting violence. 

The by-election was seen by many observers as another mini-contest between President Museveni in Masiko’s yellow corner and Dr Kizza Besigye in Muzanira’s blue corner. 

Museveni in April 2018, donated money, trucks, mini buses and an assortment of machinery worth over Shs 5 billion to about 110 groups of youth in Rukungiri district ‘to help them fight poverty.’ Museveni claimed the money that he’d given to the youth groups was from his own pocket. 

Besigye criticised Museveni for attempting to bribe Rukungiri voters ahead of the by-election, saying even if the donation was a genuine attempt to alleviate poverty among the youths, Rukungiri district wasn’t among the poorest in the country.