Kampala, Uganda:- The NRM Electoral Commission Tribunal is expected to deliver its final ruling this Saturday, August 9, 2025, on a petition filed by Parliamentary aspirant Tugume Boniface challenging the outcome of the Igara West NRM primaries.
Tugume, a PLU-leaning candidate who lost to Cohen Kyampene in the hotly contested July 17th primaries, filed the petition through M/S Ahimbisibwe & Agaba Co. Advocates on July 21st, citing multiple electoral irregularities and illegalities that he claims fundamentally undermined the integrity of the process.
According to the petition, Tugume wants the NRM Electoral Commission to annul Kyampene’s victory and order a fresh election in Igara West, arguing that the July 17th vote was marred by illegal practices, voter disenfranchisement, and falsification of results.
Key among the allegations is that at Katimba Polling Station in Rushinya Parish, the presiding officer declared 564 votes in favour of Kyampene, exceeding the total number of registered voters at the polling station, which stands at 499.
This, Tugume alleges, is clear evidence of ballot stuffing or voting by unregistered individuals, which he says “violated NRM’s own Constitution under Chapter Two, Clause 6(3)” and casts serious doubt on the declared results.
In a second instance, Tugume alleges that no election was conducted at Kahija II Polling Station in Nyarugote Parish, disenfranchising 469 registered voters. “By declaring final results without considering the outcome of this polling station, the NRM EC discriminated against a section of voters and severely impacted the election result in a substantial manner,” the petition stated.
The third complaint, according to Tugume, is the falsification of results at Rwakaringura Polling Station in Kizinda Town Council, where his agents allege that the presiding officer falsely recorded 407 votes for Kyampene, despite publicly announcing only 107 during the count.
The declaration forms, according to Tugume, were rejected by his agents, who refused to sign them due to the discrepancies.
The NRM EC tribunal sat on Saturday, August 2nd, to hear Tugume’s petition and weigh whether the irregularities presented are strong enough to invalidate Kyampene’s win and order a re-run.
A source within the Bushenyi NRM structures told DailyExpress that both camps have since ramped up mobilization efforts ahead of the verdict, with the possibility of either a reaffirmation of Kyampene’s win or a re-election that could shake up the political landscape in Igara West.
The ruling, expected on Saturday, is expected to have far-reaching implications, especially as the general elections draw closer, with the NRM under pressure to demonstrate fairness and transparency in its internal processes.
The Igara West parliamentary race has attracted national attention, not only due to the stakes in the NRM primaries, but also because of increasing internal rifts within the ruling party, between traditional cadres and emerging PLU-leaning figures.
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