Kampala, Uganda: Brenda Kiconco, the fiery candidate in last week’s disputed NRM Youth League elections, is most likely set to be declared as the party’s Election Disputes Tribunal prepares to deliver the outcome of its hearing next week.
Insider sources close to the panel told DailyExpress on Saturday that the evidence presented against the Electoral Commission’s handling of the poll “tilted the case heavily” in Kiconco’s favour, making her declaration as the duly elected chairperson almost certain and a matter of hours now.
The ruling-in-waiting comes in the wake of a heated petition in which Kiconco challenged the August 26 youth league elections at Kololo, where Collins Tanga, son of NRM Electoral Commission chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi, was controversially declared the winner with 1,567 votes against Kiconco’s 1,355.
“From the submissions we’ve examined, the numbers simply don’t add up. What was declared doesn’t reflect what was tallied,” an insider on the tribunal, revealed, adding that the case “goes beyond the youth league, it speaks to the credibility of the party’s internal democracy.”
Another tribunal insider, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, hinted at possible fallout if the panel rules against Collins. “We are fully aware that this decision could ruffle feathers at the highest levels, but the integrity of the process cannot be compromised. If we don’t call it as it is, then the youth league elections will forever be remembered as a sham,” the source noted, emphasizing the weight of the ruling on both party credibility and internal power dynamics.
During the tribunal session earlier this week, seasoned lawyers Caleb Alaka and Kabega Moses represented the respondents, while Kiconco’s petition was fronted by a team of lawyers led by Ekima Emmanuel, Phillip Aryatuha, and Sula Mayanja, who are said to have presented “a compelling case that nailed down every irregularity with facts and figures.”
The disputed elections, held at Kololo last month, were marred by allegations of vote rigging, intimidation, and irregular tallies at both district and national levels. Collins was controversially declared the winner, triggering outrage among sections of the NRM youth who accused the party’s electoral body of “handpicking candidates instead of letting the will of the youth prevail.”
The landmark case, whose final verdict awaits, has gripped the NRM hierarchy, with many viewing it as a litmus test for the party’s internal democracy ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Senior cadres privately admit that the handling of this dispute will either reassure or alienate the youth bloc, which constitutes the party’s largest mobilization arm. While Tanga Collins’ supporters remain hopeful of the invisible “political shield” from his father’s camp, Kiconco’s backers are confident that the tribunal will finally hand her what they call “a stolen victory.”
In any case, the possible decisions from the tribunal are three: dismissing Kiconco’s petition challenging the election outcome, allowing the petition and declaring Kiconco the winner, or nullifying the results and ordering a rerun if irregularities are confirmed.
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