In Summary: Bukaye village in Iganga District has ended months of leadership uncertainty after LC1 Chairperson-elect Musumba Eriabu was sworn in and received the official village stamp, paving the way for the resumption of routine administrative services that had been disrupted by the leadership dispute.
Iganga, Uganda — Bukaye village in Bukaye Parish, Nakalama Sub-county, has finally ended months of leadership uncertainty following the swearing-in of its LC1 Chairperson-elect, Musumba Eriabu, and the handover of the official village stamp on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
The handover followed intervention by the Electoral Commission and other authorities after a dispute over the July 28, 2026, LC1 elections left the village without an effective transition of leadership.
In a letter dated October 26, 2026, signed by Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, the Commission stated that the grounds raised in a complaint by Tezikoma Sebbi Saidi fell outside its constitutional mandate of ascertaining election results and could therefore not be entertained. It indicated that the outcome of the village election would be published in accordance with the law.
Musumba was declared the winner of the Bukaye LC1 election, defeating the incumbent, Tezikoma.
However, the transition was delayed after Tezikoma reportedly failed to hand over the official village stamp, an essential instrument used to authenticate LC1 letters, land-related agreements, recommendations and other administrative documents.
The dispute escalated, leading to Tezikoma’s arrest and arraignment before the Iganga Chief Magistrate’s Court over the alleged refusal to surrender government property.
The court subsequently secured the stamp and directed that it be delivered to the office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for safe custody and onward handover to the rightful office bearer.
Speaking after receiving the stamp, Musumba thanked God for the outcome and pledged to serve all residents without discrimination. “I thank God for this victory. I promise to serve everyone in Bukaye without discrimination. I urge those from other camps to join me so that we can have proper leadership for our village.”
He told DailyExpress that the absence of the stamp had made it difficult for him to discharge his responsibilities, forcing him to refer residents to the LC2 chairperson whenever they needed official recommendations. He said the arrangement delayed service delivery and frustrated residents who depended on the LC1 office for routine administrative assistance.
Residents who witnessed the swearing-in welcomed the development, saying the leadership dispute had affected several community activities and administrative processes.
Kagoya Angella Irene said residents seeking assistance with land transactions, money-lending arrangements, employment recommendations, bursaries and other official processes had experienced delays because they could not obtain the required LC1 stamp and signature.
“We are very happy that our chairperson has finally received the stamp. We have suffered for long. Now we can buy land, get recommendations and move forward,” Kagoya said.
Musumba has called on residents to work together to promote unity, security and development, saying the success of his leadership will depend on the cooperation of the entire community. The handover marks the end of the immediate administrative standoff, with residents hopeful that routine village services will now resume.
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