Namutumba NRM supporters protest delayed declaration of primary results

A section of National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters in Namutumba District took to the streets in protest over the delayed declaration of winners from the recently concluded party primaries.

The disgruntled voters accuse powerful figures within government of interfering in the process to influence outcomes, leading to delays and uncertainty.

Namutumba held its NRM primaries on Thursday, but the exercise was marred by irregularities. The situation escalated after the district NRM registrar, Richard Mwanjja, cancelled the results from Kibaale Sub-county. The cancellation followed the arrest of Bukono constituency aspirant Emmanuel Maganda, who was allegedly caught altering declaration of results forms in his favour.

Prior to the cancellation, preliminary results placed incumbent Bukono County MP Persis Namuganza ahead of Maganda, with 20,050 votes against his 13,400. In the Namutumba District Woman MP race, preliminary tallies showed Betty Nakisita leading the incumbent with 67,500 votes compared to 50,013.

Likewise, in Busiki County, Joel Azalwa was reportedly ahead of incumbent Paul Akamba. However, Mwanjja later informed candidates that NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi had instructed him to suspend the process and tally the Kibaale Sub-county results, despite earlier reports of irregularities.

This reversal of decisions sparked chaos at the tally center, which had been set up at Basoga Nsadhu Memorial Technical Institute. The confusion prompted heightened security deployment, and Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Moses Kafeero—who was overseeing the primaries in the Busoga sub-region—announced the suspension of the process.

Kafeero said the decision was made in consultation with Dr. Tanga Odoi to ensure transparency and restore order. However, the delay has left many NRM supporters disillusioned. Amina Nakyere, one of the protesters, said they had camped at the tally center since Thursday, July 17, waiting in vain.

“All we see are security officers taking calls from so-called powerful individuals and making constant changes without telling us when results will be declared,” she said. Nakyere described the election as a rare opportunity for the public to vote out non-performing leaders, but expressed disappointment that the delay seemed to undermine voters’ power.

“I joined the protest to defend my right to choose leaders, a right that now feels deliberately suppressed by the very party I’ve supported my whole adult life,” she added. Another voter, Bridget Namukuve, said the lining-up method used in the primaries was transparent, allowing voters and candidates to see results firsthand.

“These delays are eroding confidence in the process and creating unnecessary anxiety among voters who sacrificed their time to participate,” she said. Brenda Wangole went further, accusing the NRM of being infiltrated by power-hungry individuals who manipulate the vote through rigging and delayed announcements.

“One of their tactics is to delay results, which fatigues both voters and candidates, making it harder to pursue justice,” she said.

“In the end, we lose our rightful leaders to mercenaries who use force to rob people of their mandate.”

Namutumba District Police Commander, Bashir Siriba, later convened a meeting with the aggrieved parties and urged them to remain calm while awaiting a final decision from the party headquarters. Siriba said he had personally escorted the tally results to Kampala for comprehensive verification.

His reassurance appeared to ease tensions, with many protesters agreeing to pause their demonstration and instead camp at Namutumba Town Council offices, awaiting the party’s final pronouncement expected tomorrow.