Independent candidate Moses Nsereko has announced plans to challenge the results of the recently concluded Kawempe North parliamentary by-election, citing discrepancies in the vote tally.
The by-election, held on Thursday, saw National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Elias Nalukoola emerge victorious in a race that was marred by reports of violence and alleged vote rigging.
Nalukoola secured a commanding 17,764 votes, followed by the ruling National Resistance Movement’s (NRM) candidate, Faridah Nambi, who garnered 8,593 votes. Nsereko, however, finished ninth out of ten candidates, managing only 32 votes.
Speaking in a television interview, Nsereko expressed deep dissatisfaction with the election process, claiming that the official results announced by the Electoral Commission did not align with what he observed on the ground.
“I didn’t understand the results. What was read by the Electoral Commission was different from what I got on the ground,” Nsereko stated, vowing to seek legal redress.
Despite his frustration, Nsereko acknowledged that Nalukoola had a significant advantage due to the influence of NUP leader Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, in Kawempe North.
Notably, Nsereko had initially contested in the NUP primaries but lost to Nalukoola. Undeterred, he chose to run as an independent candidate, campaigning aggressively and boldly asserting that, while Nalukoola had the NUP’s endorsement, he had the support of the electorate.
However, the election results painted a starkly different picture, with his final tally of 32 votes falling far below expectations.
Nalukoola’s victory means he will now assume the parliamentary seat previously held by Muhammad Ssegirinya, who passed away in January this year.
