The ruling NRM party has won parliamentary and LCV elections in the new districts of Pakwach, Bunyangabu and Rukiga districts.
In Pakwach, National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidates emerged winners in races for woman Member of Parliament and district chairperson.
Pakwach was carved out of Nebbi District and became operational this financial year alongside other districts including Bunyangabu, Namisindwa, Rukiga and Kyotera.
Jane Pacuto Avur, a board member of Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA), won the Pakwach Woman MP seat, beating two other candidates. This was her third time contesting to be a Woman MP after trying unsuccessfully in Nebbi district.
The Local Council V race was won by Robert Steen Omito, the interim chairperson. Omito, who initially served as the District Chairperson of Nebbi, beat Robert Okumu, who contested as an independent and came second. Okumu is also a former district Chairperson for Nebbi.
Other candidates in the LCV race were lawyer George William Alenyo, the son to the current Nebbi District Chairperson Esrom William Alenyo, who had also contested in the NRM primary, and another independent Denis Olore.\
In Bunyangabu, Peace Mutuuzo, the State Minister for Gender and Culture was declared Woman MP after polling 24,820 votes. Mutuuzo defeated the Forum for Democratic Change party candidate Dorothy Nyakaisiki who polled 5,536 votes and Lydia Kiiza, an independent candidate with 1,892 votes.
James Ategeka was also declared district chairperson with 25,811 votes. He beat the FDC candidate, Silver Tweyongire who got 5,136 votes. Richard Muganzi, an independent candidate garnered 1083 votes.
Mutuuzo and Ategeka were declared winners at 2:30 a.m. by Vallery Kanzira, the Bunyangabu District Registrar. According to Kanzira, a total of 27,276 out of the 31,456 registered voters in the district turned up to cast their votes.
No major problem was experienced during the elections, except the appearance on the ballot paper of Peter Musinguzi, an independent candidate who had withdrawn from the race causing confusion among the voters.
After he was declared a winner, Ategeka pledged to promote and improve service delivery in the education and health sector. Bunyangabu carved out of Kabarole district, started operations on July 1, 2017.
In Rukiga, Caroline Kamusiime Muhwezi, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party candidate was declared victor by Kabale District Returning Officer Adam Juma Sheesa following elections held on Thursday in the district. The declaration was made at exactly 1.13 a.m. amid tight security at Rukiga district headquarters Rwamucucu.
Kamusiime polled 17,570 to beat her main challenger Shillah Arittuha, the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate who polled 7,305.
Similarly, NRM's Alexander Kampikaho was declared Rukiga District Chairperson with 20476 defeating FDCs Ambrose Aharimpisa who polled 4596.
