Elioda’s victory in Sheema North challenged over fraud allegations

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Elections Tribunal in Kampala has received a formal petition challenging the outcome of the Sheema North parliamentary primary elections held on July 17, 2025 in Sheema District.

Pison Kanyesigye Nkuruho, one of the contenders in the race, has accused both the declared winner, Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, and the NRM Electoral Commission of what he describes  as presiding over a deeply flawed and unlawfully conducted election.

Filed as Election Petition Number  227 of 2025, the petition was officially lodged with the tribunal under the Parliamentary Elections Act and the NRM Election Regulations 2025.

In his  petition, Kanyesigye  through his lawyers  Mugabi, Shyaka & Co. Advocates, he contends that the entire electoral process was riddled with irregularities and violations of electoral law that not only undermined its integrity but also materially affected the outcome.

According to the petition, Kanyesigye was duly nominated on June 20, 2025, to contest in the NRM primaries for Sheema North constituency, a race that featured several candidates, including incumbent Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, Hon. Naome Kibaju, Michael Kasheeka, Stephen Ngabirano, and Agnes Kiconco. The NRM Sheema District Registrar declared Tumwesigye the winner on the night of July 17 at 8:46 PM.

However, Kanyesigye claims that the election was neither free nor fair. He outlines a series of alleged electoral malpractices including widespread falsification and mutilation of polling registers, disenfranchisement of eligible voters, and the inclusion of ineligible voters ,many of whom were reportedly ferried into the constituency to vote illegally.

The petition further alleges that polling in several areas extended well past the designated closing time, enabling manipulation of results. It also accuses NRM polling officials of failing to safeguard polling materials and turning a blind eye to actions that compromised the security and credibility of the electoral process. Among the most serious claims is the alleged use of military and security personnel to intimidate voters and electoral officials  acts that Kanyesigye says were carried out with the knowledge or approval of Tumwesigye’s campaign.

Kanyesigye has also challenged the legality of Tumwesigye’s nomination, claiming it was endorsed by a civil servant , a violation of Uganda’s public service regulations, which prohibit civil servants from engaging in partisan politics.

The petition points to Section 68 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, accusing Tumwesigye and his agents of bribery, arguing that money and gifts were distributed to voters with the intention of swaying votes.

Kanyesigye who was the runner up asserts that these actions contravene multiple provisions of both the NRM Constitution and national electoral laws, and that they had a substantial and direct impact on the election’s outcome.

The Petitioner now wants the Tribunal to declare the election null and void and to either install him as the rightful NRM flag bearer or order a fresh, free, and fair primary election in Sheema North. He is also seeking costs to be awarded against the respondents   Dr. Tumwesigye and the NRM Electoral Commission.

The tribunal headed by Lawyer John Musiime is yet to fix the date for hearing of this Petition.

Dr. Tumwesigye, a seasoned Politician and Former inister, when hearing commences will be summoned to file his defense against the accusations against him as per the available guidelines from the Tribunal which indicate that once a petition has been filed, the respondent will be served with a copy of the petition and then later directed to file his defense.