Kampala, Uganda: Legal fireworks erupted Wednesday at the NRM Electoral Commission Tribunal as Counsel Ndyakira Nicholas Muhereza, flanked by co-petitioner Eng. Cathbert presented evidence pinning Bushenyi District NRM Chairperson, Hassan Basajjabalaba, of orchestrating a rigged primary in favor of his son, Hajj Iddi Basajja, to win the Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality flagbearer contest.
Ndyakira’s legal team laid out a compelling case built on four critical grounds, urging the tribunal to nullify the July 2025 NRM primaries and call for fresh elections.
“The Bushenyi district NRM chairman’s involvement in the process, campaigning for his son using NRM structures and party resources, completely compromised the integrity of the vote,” one of the lawyers told the tribunal.
The petitioners cited blatant electoral malpractices, including voter bribery, intimidation, and suppression, alongside alleged tampering with Declaration of Results forms. These, they argued, were sufficient to warrant the election’s nullification.
“We presented video and documentary evidence showing that the final results were altered,” the legal team asserted. “In some polling stations, voters were even physically blocked from accessing voting areas.”
Iddi Basajja’s lawyer, Counsel Kyazze, attempted to defend the high vote count his client garnered, but the petitioners rebutted this by invoking the landmark Nabukenya Vs Nakatte High Court decision, which emphasized the quality and fairness of an election over numerical margins.
Speaking after the tribunal hearing on Wednesday afternoon, Counsel Ndyakira thanked his supporters and reaffirmed confidence in the process.
“Dear Team Kinawolovu, friends, and supporters, we wait in 7 days for the ruling. We are done with the hearing in the matter of Counsel Ndyakira Nicholas & Eng. Cathbert Vs Hajj Iddi Basajja. Thank you for your patience and support during this period.”
The NRM tribunal is expected to deliver its verdict on Wednesday, August 13, 2025.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
