Sironko, Uganda: Renowned businessman and veteran politician Hajj Sulaiman Lumolo Mafabi was on Friday, May 23, declared unopposed as the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Chairperson for Sironko District after his only challenger, the Karamoja State Minister, Hon Florence Nambozo, failed to appear at the polling venue.
The voting exercise, which took place at Nampanga Primary School, was thrown into brief confusion when Hon. Nambozo, also the Sironko District Woman MP, disappeared moments before the ballot was to begin, leaving her agents and supporters stranded.
With no challenger present, the returning officer declared Mr. Lumolo the winner by default, extending his hold on the district NRM chairmanship for another five years and 20 years in total.
Mr. Lumolo, who has served as Sironko’s NRM chairperson for two decades, continues to command uncontested dominance in the party’s internal politics. In each of the past elections, he has been endorsed without opposition, a rarity in party politics that signals both loyalty and political calculation from within the district ranks.
His unbroken reign in party leadership comes at a time of growing speculation around Minister Nambozo’s political capital in Sironko, particularly after her contested handling of recent NRM women’s league elections which drew grassroots backlash.
Speaking after his victory, Mr. Lumolo said, “I am grateful to the people of Sironko for trusting me again. We must now focus on uniting the party and delivering on our mandate.”
However, his rival and challenger, Hon. Florence Nambozo contested the process, citing irregularities and what she termed as manipulation by entrenched interests within the district’s NRM system. “As a candidate, I demanded to be availed a register, but the administrative secretary told me there was no law mandating him to do so. My supporters were denied access to the polling station,” she told DailyExpress.
Nambozo’s fallout in the Sironko chairperson race follows her recent withdrawal from the Mutufu Sub-county NRM Women’s League re-election, where she cited voter intimidation and procedural irregularities. At the time, she had shifted her political ambitions to the district chairperson seat, vowing to restore integrity and unity in the party.
The election formed part of the ongoing NRM internal structure polls being held countrywide to renew party leadership at various levels in preparation for the 2026 general elections.
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