CHAOS IN RUKIGA AFTER NRM FLAG BEARER IS DECLARED DISTRICT CHAIRMAN

By Grant Ahumuza

www.mknewslink.com

In Rukiga—

There were protests at the Rukiga district tally center this morning shortly after the National Resistance Movement-candidate; Robert Mbabazi Kakwerere was declared the winner of the LC V chairperson elections.

Rukiga District Returning Officer, Rebecca Mbabazi declared Kakwerere elected with 20,200 votes at 05:20 am on Thursday morning. 

According to the results, Kakwerere’s rival and Forum for Democratic Change-FDC candidate, Michael Kwarikunda Mbareeba got 12308 votes, the National Unity Platform candidate, Onesmus Arinda came third with 1150 votes while independent candidate Martin Rumanzi trailed the pack with 478 votes.

Prior to the declaration of the final results, Kwarikunda backed by his supporters had demanded the cancellation of all results from Kamwezi sub-county citing rigging. 

He argued that the results from most of the polling stations in Kamwezi sub-county were higher compared to the total number of registered voters.

Kwarikunda’s protests led to the suspension of the tallying exercise for more than an hour. Electoral Commission officials were seen making repeated phone calls to undisclosed people.  

The officials led by Mbabazi cancelled the results from Kamwezi dispensary polling station after confirming that the number of votes cast was higher than the total number of voters on the register.  

Kakwerere had got 572 votes, Kwarikunda 16, Arinda 03, Rumanzi 00 and 07 invalid votes, which totals to 598 votes yet there are 593 registered voters at the polling station.       

Mbabazi however, declined to nullify results from other polling stations, saying that the matter is beyond her. She advised Kwarikunda to seek legal redress.  Kwarikunda vowed to challenge the results in court.

Kakwerere refutes allegations of voter rigging; saying he received overwhelming support from the voters.

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