Lwemiyaga County incumbent member of parliament Theodore Ssekikubo has officially lost his bid to reclaim the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket after the party’s Elections Disputes Tribunal dismissed his petition against the election of retired Brig Gen Emmanuel Rwashande.
Ssekikubo, along with former minister for Animal Husbandry Joy Kafura Kabasti, had jointly petitioned the tribunal, challenging Rwashande’s victory in the party primaries. The petitioners alleged that the election was marred by “grave irregularities,” including violence, voter intimidation, military interference, and result manipulation.
Ssekikubo specifically accused Rwashande of deploying the military to orchestrate violence, citing an incident where a soldier allegedly shot and killed one of his supporters and injured several others days before the election.
He also pointed to a deliberate communication blackout on polling day, which he attributed to the targeted vandalism of telecom masts, an act he believes could only have been carried out with state resources.
Kabasti added that voters were ferried in from Kampala, and vote tallies from their strongholds were either inflated or not counted at all. She also claimed their polling agents and supporters were denied access to polling stations or violently dispersed.
Both petitioners had asked the tribunal to nullify the results and declare Ssekikubo the winner. However, the tribunal, chaired by John Musiime, dismissed the petition, stating that the complainants failed to prove their allegations to the required standard.
The ruling noted that while some irregularities may have occurred, they were not substantial enough to have affected the overall result. The tribunal also pointed out a contradiction in Ssekikubo’s request to be declared the winner of an election he himself described as being marred by “pervasive irregularities, illegalities, and violence.”
This, the tribunal said, further weakened the grounds of his petition. The tribunal denied the petitioners all remedies they sought and upheld the election of Rwashande as the official flag bearer for Lwemiyaga County.
Following the ruling, Rwashande called upon Ssekikubo to accept the defeat and work toward the unity of the constituency and the NRM. This is not the first time Ssekikubo has challenged Rwashande. He previously tried, and failed, to block Rwashande’s nomination on grounds that he lacked the required academic qualifications.
It is high time Ugandans woke up to Mr. M7’s undisputable militarism and the Hon Ssekikubo of this country joined NUP and sweep the votes.
Otherwise, they should be reminded of what Hon Amama Mbabazi told them during the 2016, General Election campaign that: voting for Mr. M7 is voting for more of the same things, namely: corruption, no/poor service delivery vote rigging, political violence and backwardness.
In other words, as an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE in parable, Mbabazi was telling Ugandans and especially the NRM members, to keep/vote for their choice of MPs, BUT NOT our now 84-year-old PROBLEM OF AFRICA, Gen Tibuhaburwa.
This should also be the Opposition’s campaign strategy: form an alliance with the belligerent NRM members to go ahead and vote for their favourite MP candidates, BUT NOT the PROBLEM OF AFRICA. And after the win form a coalition and/or a Govt of National Unity
For heaven’s sake Ugandans need a breath of fresh air in our State House, which has for the last 39 years and counting been fouled with BLOOD-SHED and the ROT of corruption and fountain of political injustices and violence.
“The tribunal also pointed out a contradiction in Ssekikubo’s request to be declared the winner of an election he himself described as being marred by “pervasive irregularities, illegalities, and violence.” That is a point well made by a public tribunal from such a Uganda political party primary election. It clearly sends a warning message to all the political parties that are determined to participate in the coming national elections. Unfortunately for NUP that lost an election 2021 when it won massively but failed to go on with its complaints with the NRM cadre judiciary when M7 and his political cadre stole it, is right now campaigning for a second national election adventure. It is telling lies to its devoted supporters that this time round come 2026 national elections, this Uganda Unity political party is going to win again overwhelmingly all over the corners of Uganda. Where this unity political party will take its case when it fails to win or when M7 steals again the national election, God knows where? Such Sekikubo’s tribunal contradiction as a court decision in a failed state democracy, will certainly prevail!
It is unfortunate indeed that there are many Ganda tribes people who are happy with all that is going on in such national elections that are full of grave irregularities, including violence, voter intimidation, military interference, and result manipulation plus gerrymandering at the highest scale. They say; sente za NRM muzisabe era muzirye. Bwemutuuka okulonda mukole kyemwagala. No wonder if such people have eaten M7’s money or the tax payers money, that is why the government is forced to steal the election in its favour! Nayo ekola kyeyagala instead of adhering to its mandate of organising proper and peaceful national elections that are free and fair.