A political standoff has gripped Rwampara District in Western Uganda following contested results from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries for the Woman Member of Parliament flag bearer.
The chaos erupted after the district registrar, Jackson Mutaahi, prematurely declared incumbent MP Molly Matsiko Asiimwe as the party’s flag bearer on July 18.
This sparked outrage from her rival, Annah Kansiime, a grassroots mobilizer who has gained significant popularity in the constituency.
During the tense announcement at the district headquarters, Kansiime demanded an immediate vote recount, accusing officials of electoral fraud.
“We shall not leave this room until justice and fairness prevail. Whatever happens will happen. We cannot accept this robbery again,” she declared defiantly.
Security personnel were deployed to prevent unrest, but the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Harriett Nakamya, took the unprecedented step of halting the process. Citing intelligence of looming bloodshed, Nakamya ordered a vote recount. The revised tally revealed Kansiime had secured 26,347 votes against Asiimwe’s 20,364.
Registrar Mutaahi, who had initially declared Asiimwe the winner, reversed his decision and handed the Declaration of Results (DR) form to Kansiime.
According to reports, he was later arrested alongside three data entrants—Collins Nabaasa, Bright Namaziima, and Simon Twinomujuni—on charges of forgery and impersonation.
Reports add that the group had allegedly attempted to alter the DR forms under orders from Christine Namakula, the NRM’s regional registrar overseer in Ankole.
“This was a serious breach,” said RDC Nakamya. “We had credible reports that the district was about to descend into chaos. I had to intervene.”
The crisis has since escalated amid reports of clandestine meetings involving Ms. Asiimwe and unnamed NRM officials at Las Vegas Hotel in Mbarara, allegedly aimed at overturning Kansiime’s victory through political machinations. Kansiime, in a public statement, accused the party establishment of trying to subvert the will of the people.
RDC Nakamya took further steps to safeguard the integrity of the process, blocking the transfer and gazetting of all DR forms for parliamentary candidates in Rwampara.
“The original forms are now under police custody. Only certified photocopies will be used, and only after NRM electoral officials validate them,” she said.
Nakamya also confronted NRM electoral commission chairman Dr. Tanga Odoi via phone, presenting the certified recount results and requesting immediate action.
Registrar Mutaahi was ordered to admit his initial declaration had been made “without duress” but under misdirection.
Currently out on bond, Mutaahi has refused to certify the vote copies. If he remains non-compliant, the NRM headquarters is expected to dispatch a new registrar to finalize the process.
Meanwhile, Ms. Asiimwe reportedly requested additional security, claiming her residence was under threat from angry constituents.
District security authorities declined her request, stating that the rightful winner was known and that the unrest stemmed from attempts to alter that outcome.
Observers say the Rwampara standoff illustrates the deeper rift between grassroots support and entrenched political interests within the NRM.
With the party’s primary season set to conclude on July 24, all eyes are on how Dr. Odoi and the NRM Secretariat will resolve the deadlock.
On social media, civic voices have begun weighing in. A user, John Kateeba, wrote:
“The recently concluded NRM party primaries have left many Ugandans—both within and outside the party—deeply concerned about the state of internal democracy, fairness, and integrity in our electoral processes. Alarming reports continue to emerge…”
As pressure mounts, the question remains whether the NRM will allow grassroots democracy to prevail—or fall back into the familiar shadows of political manipulation.
