The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has begun handing down decisions on a series of hotly contested election petitions, following weeks of internal pressure and public scrutiny.
According to Enoch Barata, the party’s Director for Legal Affairs, petitioners can expect to start receiving the tribunal’s verdicts via email over the coming days. Chairing the tribunal is Lawyer Enoch Musiime, who is tasked with sorting through a long list of complaints, accusations, and counter-accusations.
The tension surrounding the tribunal’s work has been growing, especially as several high-profile leaders — including cabinet ministers and sitting MPs — appeared before the panel earlier this week, calling for petitions against them to be dismissed. They argued that most of these complaints are politically motivated and lack evidence.
One of them, ICT Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, who recently secured the party flag for Kinkiizi East, accused his challengers of refusing to accept defeat. But one of his rivals, Akampurira Akampa Wa Karuma, fired back with claims of voter bribery and electoral misconduct, alleging Baryomunsi paid off polling agents and manipulated the vote.
Elsewhere, senior figures like First Deputy Prime Minister Rebecca Kadaga and Third Deputy Prime Minister Rukia Nakadama also faced petitions. Through their lawyers, both dismissed the complaints as unfounded.
But not all the drama is at the top.
In Katikamu South, Patricia Magala Nakafeero, who lost the primary race, didn’t just challenge her opponent — she openly questioned the credibility of the entire primary process. From forged declaration forms to claims of bribery and intimidation, Magala painted a grim picture of how the elections were allegedly rigged in favor of her rival, Abubaker Kalume.
“If NRM can’t run free and fair primaries, maybe we shouldn’t be holding them at all,” she remarked bitterly.
Similar frustrations were echoed in Sembabule District, where Woman MP Mary Begumisa is challenging the results that favored Florence Nambaziira. She’s holding on to hope that the tribunal will side with her.
As rulings begin to roll in, it’s clear that the NRM is facing more than just legal challenges — it’s confronting questions about its internal democracy and fairness. For those involved, the stakes are deeply personal. For the party, the outcomes could shape how it’s perceived heading into the 2026 general elections.
