KAMPALA | DailyExpress Investigations: With barely days left to the Uganda Electoral Commission’s nomination window for Kampala Lord Mayor candidates, the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) finds itself in a precarious position as the party may go to the 2026 general elections without a candidate for the city’s top political seat.
At the heart of the storm is one Kaweesa Mahad, the controversial Rubaga-based politician declared NRM flag bearer in last month’s primaries, whose victory now hangs by a thread following damning allegations of academic forgery, voter bribery, intimidation, and outright poll rigging.
A Flag Bearer Under Siege
On July 25, amid chaotic scenes and heavy security presence, Mahad was declared the winner of the Kampala Lord Mayoral NRM primaries with 45,695 votes, narrowly edging out his closest rival, Kizito Moses Nsubuga (43,505 votes). KACITA chairman Thadeus Musoke Nagenda came third in the race with 27,095 votes.
But the declaration itself is now under fierce contest. Both Nsubuga and Nagenda filed a petition before the party’s tribunal, accusing Mahad of rigging the vote with help from Rubaga NRM Registrar Ronald Kato, who they say usurped powers of the party’s Electoral Commission headquarters by unilaterally announcing the results in Rubaga, whereas it is supposed to be done at Kyadondo EC offices.
One particularly glaring irregularity cited in the petition points to a Luzira Prison polling station, where Mahad was allegedly awarded an extra 3,000 votes with no traceable voters.
“Mahad’s so-called victory was manufactured, not earned. We know and believe the tribunal will consider our appeal and grant us our deserved victory. Victory delayed is not victory denied,” Kizito told DailyExpress.
Forgery Allegations and a Shadowy Past
Beyond the vote-rigging accusations, the most explosive claim is that Mahad is not even academically qualified for the flag.
The petitioners allege that Mahad bought academic papers belonging to one Kaweesa Solomon, which he used to secure clearance from the NRM Electoral Commission. The documents show stellar grades – First Division in PLE and O’Level, plus high grade points at A’Level.
But when quizzed by the tribunal, Mahad, who couldn’t even express himself in English, failed to defend his supposed academic background. According to a source that attended the tribunal session, he could not recall even three subjects he studied in primary or O-Level.
At one point, when asked about his primary school subjects, Mahad responded in broken English: “Haaaa Chairman… long time, I can’t remember.” Pressed further about O’Level at Kibibi SS, where he allegedly scored Division One, Mahad bizarrely claimed: “I only remember one thing, did PCB/Agriculture in O’Level.”
Tribunal members, sources said, had nothing to do but burst into wild laughter.
Further checks with the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) also exposed contradictions. While Mahad insists he was born Kaweesa Solomon on December 5, 1986, before later adopting the name Mahad upon converting to Islam, NIRA records show the Kaweesa Solomon, whose papers he presented, was born July 2, 1986 – a glaring mismatch.
Both Kaweesa Mahad and Kaweesa Solomon were unavailable for a comment by the time this story was filed, as our calls to their known phone numbers repeatedly went unanswered.
Schools Keep Mum
Efforts to verify Mahad’s educational claims hit a dead end. Kibibi SS headteacher Hajjat Namutaawe Maimunah refused to discuss the matter on the phone, saying: “We receive many people at the school, and even that information is too sensitive. If you need it, you must come physically to the office.” She then hung up prematurely. Further attempts to engage her were met with unanswered calls repeatedly.
At Merryland High School, where Mahad claims to have pursued A-level education, the headteacher, Mr Kyambadde Emmanuel, was unreachable when filing this story.
Tribunal Silent as EC Nominations Loom
NRM’s legal director, Counsel Enoch Barata, who sits on the tribunal, told DailyExpress in a telephone interview that no ruling has yet been made. But he assured that the party would not go into the election without a candidate.
“Yes, nominations are next week, but be rest assured that the NRM will have a flag bearer for the Kampala Lord Mayor position,” he said.
As for runner-up Nsubuga, the delay itself is evidence of compromise: “The tribunal is being influenced. Mahad is using his position as Rubaga District NRM chairperson to cling on.”
A Pattern of Questionable Competence
This is not the first time Mahad’s credibility has been questioned. In May 2025, while contesting for General Secretary in Rubaga North B during NRM structure elections, he was mocked by voters after failing to spell the word ‘secretary’ correctly. He eventually lost the seat to a lesser-known opponent, Kakooza Atom, in what many saw as a referendum on competence.
Even earlier, in 2021, Mahad contested the Rubaga Division mayoral race on NRM’s ticket, coming a distant third with just 8,075 votes.
NRM’s Looming Embarrassment
With the Electoral Commission’s nomination window (Sept 3–5, 2025) just days away, the ruling party faces a nightmare scenario: if Mahad’s victory is upheld by the tribunal, and it turns out that the EX disqualifies him over forged papers, the mighty NRM will have no candidate for Kampala Lord Mayor.
Such an outcome would not only expose cracks in the NRM’s electoral machinery but also deal a devastating blow to its over two-decade-long struggle to reclaim political control of the capital from opposition forces.
The tribunal’s decision, whether to uphold Mahad’s contested victory or annul it and declare Kizito as the elected flag bearer, could define the party’s credibility going into 2026. On the other hand, upholding him would risk presenting an unqualified and ridiculed candidate, while disqualifying him without a replacement risks the party’s humiliation before the EC.
Either way, the scandal is an exposure of the growing concerns about the integrity of NRM’s internal processes, the independence of its tribunal, and its ability to field credible candidates in a city where its political fortunes have steadily dwindled.
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