Kumi Deputy RDC Under Fire for Alleged Meddling in NRM Primaries
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kumi District, James Kyomya, is facing a barrage of allegations after being accused of interfering in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primary elections, with claims that he authored an unauthorized letter to influence the outcome and solicited money from competing candidates.
The accusations were tabled before a tribunal last Friday during a hearing of a petition filed by former parliamentary aspirant Charles Olaboro, who challenged the fairness of the recent party primaries.
According to Olaboro, the Deputy RDC overstepped his mandate by penning a letter to the NRM Electoral Commission in which he declared the elections free and fair, despite mounting evidence of irregularities.
The letter—dated July 31, 2025—declares the recent party primaries in Kumi as “free and fair,” a claim that contradicts a formal petition currently under review by the NRM tribunal.
The letter, addressed to the Chairperson of the NRM Electoral Commission, Tanga Odoi, praises the party’s efforts and affirms that the primaries held on 17th and 24th July were peaceful and well-secured, with ten security vehicles and joint deployment from the police and UPDF.
“We had enough manpower… that helped us to register a free and fair exercise throughout the district,” Kyomya wrote.
However, the letter has triggered backlash from aggrieved candidate Charles Olaboro, who accuses Kyomya of interfering in internal party processes and writing the letter unsolicited and without mandate.
“The RDC’s office was weaponized to suppress the truth,” Olaboro told the tribunal. “Security forces turned a blind eye to ballot stuffing, and my agents were chased from polling stations. Yet Kyomya’s letter called the election credible. How is that possible?”
The letter, which was not prompted by any official request, seems to endorse the disputed victory of Ocom Richards and dismissed reports of irregularities.
“No one asked him to report on an internal party election,” Olaboro said. “He’s not part of the NRM structures. His job is to represent the presidency, not to endorse candidates or rubber-stamp election results.”
Sources say the letter was co-authored or influenced by Ocom himself and not copied to other candidates, deepening suspicions of foul play.
“This letter wasn’t about security—it was about covering up malpractice,” said Olaboro camp member.
The scandal, now under NRM tribunal review, threatens to rock the ruling party’s credibility in the region—raising serious questions about electoral integrity, abuse of public office, and blatant partisanship by a state-appointed officer.
Observers also question why the Deputy RDC felt compelled to write to the NRM Electoral Commission — a party organ — when, under Uganda’s constitutional framework, RDCs report to the Office of the President, not to political parties.
“It was an internal party matter,” Olaboro argued. “Why would a presidential appointee write a letter on party primaries without being officially asked? That alone shows bias.”
The tribunal panel has been cautioned that the RDC’s letter lacked procedural justification and should be considered an act of political interference.
Political analysts warn that such interference by government officials risks undermining public trust in internal party democracy.
“If rigging is rewarded, NRM’s 2026 ambitions will drown in these scandals,” said a political observer following the case. “The presidency should take action before communities lose total confidence.”
As political temperatures rise in Kumi, the letter from the RDC has now become central to the petition—seen by critics as a symbol of interference, and by supporters as a routine administrative update.
POLLING AGENTS BLOCKED
Olaboro singled out incidents in polling stations such as Abata, where one of his agents, Ssemuju, was reportedly removed from the venue under suspicious circumstances.
The tribunal is now preparing to conduct a forensic audit of the Declaration of Results (DR) forms, submitted by Ocom Richards’ lawyer, to verify whether signatures were authentic or fraudulently consolidated by a small group of individuals in stations where Olaboro’s agents were blocked.
BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS
Further allegations claim that Kyomya took bribes from candidates to sway the election process.
Olaboro camp also alleges that Kyomya may have received financial incentives from rival candidates, and that the letter to the NRM EC was written in favor of the candidate who offered the largest envelope.
“He collected $300 from Olaboro and Sh3m from Ocom,” Olaboro camp alleged. “He then decided to side with the highest bidder and wrote the letter under those instructions.”
Sources close to the petition say Kyomya is also accused of collecting cash from LC5 candidates and other contestants in the district.
“The RDC was turned into a middleman for the highest offer,” one source familiar with the petition said. “He was essentially auctioning the will of the voters.”
By press time, Kyomya had not publicly commented on the allegations.
However, sources close to the RDC’s office acknowledged that he had officially requested logistical support (amount not clear), raising further ethical questions about whether that money — ostensibly facilitation — influenced his decisions.
The NRM tribunal is expected to deliver its verdict within seven days, which could potentially nullify the results or recommend fresh primaries.
For now, all eyes are on the tribunal’s ruling.
NEPOTISM
Separately, another report circulating within Kumi alleges that Kyomya has attempted to remove an ordinary secretary in the RDC office who has served for 15 years, allegedly to replace her with a personal acquaintance but this is a story for another day.
A letter to the Human Resource Management office, reportedly authored by Kyomya against the secretary, has sparked suspicions of nepotism, though details of his preferred replacement remain unclear.
More details to follow…
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