By KT Reporter
Denis Ndyomugyenyi Nzeirwe, the former Kyankwanzi Deputy Resident District Commissioner, has defeated Nelson Nshangabasheija, the incumbent Kabale District LC5 Chairman, in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries.
Nzeirwe garnered 43,667 votes, Nshangabasheija polled 33,860, while Wilbroad Rwamunahe got 2,610 votes. After being declared the winner, Nzeirwe thanked Nshangabasheija for being brave and staying in the tally centre until the final declaration was done. Nzeirwe promised to serve diligently without discrimination while implementing the agenda of development.
However, during the tallying process, tempers flared when Nshangabssheija accused the tallying officers of only reading results of sub-counties rather than publicly tallying per polling station. In response, the NRM Party Registrar, Barbra Ainebyoona, trashed the accusations and accused Nshangabasheija of not being present when all contestants agreed that the results from polling stations would be tallied from sub-county headquarters and be publicly announced from there before transportation to the district.
Nshangabasheija also protested and demanded the halting of the tallying until the explanation and way forward of why voters from some of the polling stations from Katuna town council, Kamuganguzi and Butanda sub-counties did not vote.
Ainebyoona tasked Nshangabasheija to produce declaration forms of contested polling stations, but Nshangabasheija argued that the declaration forms were outside the tally centre. Ainebyoona also trashed the argument, saying that she cannot just allow declaration forms being carried by unknown people to be entered inside a tally centre.
Ainebyoona only cancelled results from Kabarisa village in Kyonyo ward, Katuna town council, after proving that the total number of votes was higher than the total number of voters. She advised Nshangabasheija to file a petition in case he remains not convinced of Nzeirwe’s win.
Drama also ensued when a printer that the polling officials were using inside the tally centre developed a mechanical problem, and as a result, they sent Edisson Turyahabwa, NRM party district publicity secretary, to Kabale town to print the forms. But on returning, he was intercepted by Nzeirwe’s agents and supporters at the gate of Kabale district council headquarters and was accused of sneaking forged forms to rig Nzeirwe’s victory.
Turyahabwa’s defence that the forms are blank was not heard. Angry supporters held him hostage, grabbed the forms and tore them. They also confiscated his mobile phone until Ainebyoona improvised with another paper that is not official to announce Nzeiwe as a winner.
Later, supporters gave the phone to security officers at the gate, who handed it back to Turyahaabwa.
Ainebyoona also declared the Central Division LC3 Chairman as the NRM party flag bearer for the Kabale Municipality seat. Arineitwe polled 6,643 votes while his contender, Ian Ronald Mugisha alias Coach Baca, garnered 4,520 votes.
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