The Secretary General of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), Richard Todwong, has refuted allegations that the ruling party was involved in ballot stuffing during the recently concluded Kawempe North by-election.
Speaking in a televised interview on Monday, Todwong clarified that NRM’s decision to petition the election results in court was based on reported irregularities, including acts of violence, intimidation of NRM supporters, and ballot stuffing, which he attributed to the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters.
“Ballot stuffing was not done by NRM. We don’t do that,” Todwong stated firmly, dismissing accusations against his party.
He further alleged that NUP supporters were responsible for disrupting the electoral process by kicking ballot boxes and intimidating voters.
“NUP are saying that the people who kicked the ballot boxes were NRM goons, but we are saying that those were NUP goons,” he argued.
Todwong emphasized that the NRM’s court petition is not necessarily aimed at overturning the results in favor of the party’s candidate, Faridah Nambi, but rather to ensure that the entire electoral process is scrutinized.
“I’m only saying, let my loss be justified. I’m not asking to be declared the winner,” he noted.
Additionally, Todwong condemned the actions of some opposition politicians, including Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi, whom he accused of trespassing onto private property and making unfounded allegations of ballot stuffing without a warrant.
“How can you go to private property and find an RDC plus a few people wearing yellow attire and claim there is ballot stuffing taking place?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC), chaired by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, has formally rejected the results of the Kawempe North by-election. The party’s top organ has instructed its legal team to challenge the outcome in court, citing concerns over fairness and transparency in the electoral process.
“At the end of the day, we want the truth to come out. Who beat up Ugandans? Who was stuffing ballots? There must be fairness in all this,” Todwong asserted.
Among the concerns that has led to NRM’s dissatisfaction in the polls include; The NRM claims the election was marred by violence, voter suppression, and irregularities purportedly orchestrated by supporters of the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP).
They are demanding for a comprehensive forensic audit of the electoral process, emphasizing the need to investigate the actions of all parties involved, including NRM, NUP, security forces, and the Electoral Commission, among others.
The Kawempe North by-election, held on March 13, 2025, resulted in NUP candidate Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola winning with 17,764 votes, while NRM’s Faridah Nambi received 8,593 votes.
