Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa will return to Parliament unopposed after his only challenger, Osbert Kato of the National Unity Platform (NUP), was reportedly blocked from being nominated for the Ruhinda North Constituency seat in the 2026 General Elections.
But what exactly happened? Here’s a breakdown of how the events unfolded — and why the opposition candidate claims the process was unfair.
According to the Electoral Commission (EC) timetable, Kato was set to be nominated at 10 a.m. on Thursday, the final day of nominations. He arrived at the EC office with his supporters and the required documents.
After submitting his forms, Kato says officials asked him to step outside, only to later return his academic documents, saying they only needed his forms with National Identification Numbers (NINs).
Kato claims that EC officials began verifying the NINs of his seconders and supporters — a process that stretched until 1 p.m., when they paused for lunch.
It was during this break, he alleges, that Deputy Speaker Tayebwa arrived and was swiftly nominated.
“Tayebwa was nominated during lunch, yet I was supposed to be first,” Kato said.
When officials resumed at 3 p.m., Kato says he was called back an hour later but denied entry with his nominator and seconders.
Inside, he was informed that his own NIN was invalid — despite having used it to pay his nomination fees through the Payment Registration Number (PRN) system. When he contested this claim, officials allegedly shifted their explanation.
Kato adds that EC officials then altered the NINs of three of his supporters on his forms and declared them invalid, including one belonging to his younger brother who had just received his National ID.
In an effort to continue, Kato says he submitted alternative NINs from supporters outside. However, EC officials allegedly instructed him to fill out new forms and take them to Kampala for stamping by the NUP Secretary General, effectively stalling his nomination beyond the deadline.
When he asked to retain his original documents for court reference, Kato says officials refused to release them.
According to Kato, when the NUP Mitooma District Chairperson tried to record the incident, security personnel confiscated his phone and deleted all footage.
The EC later issued a rejection letter stating that Kato had missing academic documents, incorrect NINs, and no proof of payment — grounds he strongly disputes.
NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu alias Bobi Wine) condemned the events, describing them as a “shame and a deliberate act of political suppression.”
The party says it will consider legal action to challenge what it calls a pattern of electoral exclusion.
