NRM Tribunal Nullifies Mbale City party parliamentary elections

MBALE, UGANDA – The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has overturned the results of the party’s parliamentary primary for Mbale City Northern Division, declaring former Kampala Resident City Commissioner Hudu Hussein the rightful flag bearer.

The tribunal, chaired by John Musiime with members Hillary Kabiswa, Diana Kasabiiti (Panel Head), and Ampaire Tumwebaze, examined affidavits, declaration of results (DR) forms, audio recordings, and village voter registers.

In the contested election, Umar Nangoli was initially declared the winner with 22,166 votes, narrowly edging out Hussein, who polled 21,575 votes. Other contestants were Hajj Walujo Mukankadi with 14,936 votes and Seth Wambede Massa, who garnered 7,638 votes.

Dissatisfied with the results, Hussein filed a petition through his lawyer, Bayern Turinawe of Origo Advocates, alleging widespread malpractices. These included falsified DR forms, intimidation of his agents, and voting irregularities at several polling stations, notably Kinyole A and B. He asked the tribunal to nullify the results in affected areas and declare him the winner.

Nangoli, represented by lawyer Chris Mbaga Malinga, denied the allegations and maintained he was lawfully elected. He counter-accused Hussein of assaulting one of his agents and urged the tribunal to uphold the initial declaration.

The panel’s analysis centered on whether the election was conducted per party guidelines and if irregularities substantially affected the outcome. The tribunal found merit in Hussein’s claims regarding falsified DR forms in Doko and Bwana cells. In Doko, the total votes were inflated from 105 to 405, with Nangoli’s tally increased by 200 votes. A similar alteration in Bwana cell inflated Nangoli’s result from 42 to 142 votes. This led to a deduction of 300 votes from Nangoli’s tally.

The tribunal also nullified results from four other polling stations—Bumuluya cell, Namabasa 5(A) cell, Kibumbire, and Namabasa III A cell—because the total votes exceeded the number of registered voters. These deductions affected all candidates.

Several other claims by Hussein were rejected due to insufficient evidence, including alleged vote tampering in Kinyole A and B and intimidation in Kagwa cell. The tribunal also noted inconsistencies in the petitioner’s evidence, including an audio recording where he was allegedly heard attempting to induce a witness with a promised political appointment.

Despite this, the tribunal ruled that the proven irregularities had substantially altered the election’s outcome. The final adjusted tally gave Hussein 20,898 votes against Nangoli’s 20,562, reversing the original result and giving Hussein a 336-vote lead.

Citing Regulation 44 of the NRM Election Regulations 2025, which empowers the tribunal to declare a different winner if irregularities materially affected the result, the panel ruled in Hussein’s favor. It set aside Nangoli’s declaration and named Hussein the duly elected NRM flag bearer.

Hussein welcomed the decision, thanking the tribunal for “upholding the will of the voters.” He will now compete with candidates from other political parties in the 2026 general elections.