Eddie Kwizera Wa-gahungu, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party flag bearer has been declared the winner of the Bukimbiri county by-election in Kisoro district.
Kwizera garnered 12,214 votes while his rival Independent candidate Asgario Turyagyenda got 10,105 votes. Another independent Edward Mutabazi got 308 votes while Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flag bearer James Owebeyi got 280.
The Kisoro Returning Officer Daniel Nayebare says that the elections were peaceful since no cases of violence were recorded.
The by-election stems from the court of Appeal’s decision to nullify the victory of Kwizera citing irregularities following a successful application by Owebeyi.
Owebeyi argued that although the candidate’s photos and party symbols that appeared on ballot papers were genuine, they carried different names. The ballot papers carried the names of Arthur Kazoora Atuzarirwe as the NRM flag bearer, Didas Byaruhanga Kagyinda as the FDC flag bearer, and Victor Atwiine and Donzio Kahonda Mugabe as independent candidates yet none of them were candidates.
On Saturday, the National Unity Platform (NUP) party withdrew its candidate in the Bukimbiri county by-election, Joshua Mutabazi in order to jointly support Owebeyi. But Mutabazi later defected to the NRM party.
After being declared the winner, Kwizera promised to advocate for better health, infrastructure, and education services.
But, Turyagyenda rejected the outcome citing mass rigging and harassment of his agents by security agencies and other government and district leaders. Turyagyenda says that he will consider seeking legal redress.
