The state minister for Urbanisation and Bukono County MP Persis Namuganza has dismissed the credibility of Declaration of Results (DR) forms circulating on social media, which show her opponent, Maganda Katooko, as the winner of the recent NRM primaries in Bukono constituency.
According to the widely shared unofficial forms, Katooko secured 32,226 votes against Namuganza’s 17,324. The forms, leaked via WhatsApp groups and online platforms, have sparked heated debates among voters in Namutumba district and beyond. But Namuganza has urged the public to remain calm and ignore what she called “unverified documents.”
She said NRM is a structured party and that the electorate should wait for proper channels to pronounce the final outcome. The vote tallying process for Namutumba district was abruptly halted last week by Busoga zonal NRM commander, AIGP Moses Kafeero, who cited irregularities that posed a threat to public order.
Kafeero announced that all DR forms from the district had been transferred to NRM headquarters in Kampala for a fresh tally. The move was reportedly made in consultation with the party’s Electoral Commission chairperson, Dr Tanga Odoi.
However, the delay in releasing official results has sparked protests and confusion, with some supporters taking to the streets to burn NRM-branded T-shirts and block roads. The atmosphere remains tense as the party struggles to manage growing public dissatisfaction.
Conflicting DR forms
The chaos has not been limited to Bukono. In Busiki constituency, two conflicting DR forms have emerged. One indicates incumbent Paul Akamba defeated Joel Azalwa with 34,269 votes to 32,315, while another form shows Azalwa as the winner, having polled 35,249 votes to Akamba’s 34,269.
“This kind of election mismanagement has created anxiety among my supporters. I no longer know what to tell them,” she said.
Namuganza has described the events unfolding in Namutumba as part of a deliberate plot to end her political career. She claims to be the target of a long-standing witch-hunt by powerful forces within the party, pointing to her previous censure motion in parliament and her recent reconciliation with first deputy prime minister Rebecca Kadaga as triggers of internal resistance.
The same frustration is shared by Betty Nakisita, who contested for the NRM flag for Namutumba District Woman MP against incumbent Mariam Naigaga. Nakisita alleges a coordinated scheme to undermine genuine winners.
“Supporters have camped at the tally centre for four days. This delay is draining and disheartening,” Nakisita said.
She warned that the NRM risks losing public trust in Namutumba, a district that voted overwhelmingly for President Museveni in the last general election, unlike many others in Busoga.
NRM district registrar Richard Mwanjja has urged calm, saying the party is working to address the concerns. However, he declined to provide timelines or details about the ongoing tallying process.
“The issues are being handled at the right level,” he said.
