NRM’s Mutonyi Is New Bubulo West MP

Mutonyi (Middle) being congratulated by Lydia Wanyoto (left) and another voter after she was decleared winner

Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s candidate, Rose Mutonyi Masaba has been declared winner of the Bubulo West by-election.

Bubulo is in eastern part of the country

Mutonyi registered a landslide victory with 29, 135 votes. Her closest rival Ahamadah Wakhweya of the Forum for Democratic Change – FDC got 3, 270 votes. Joseph Bufwambu Masolo, an independent candidate was third with 1, 684 votes.

Paul Butita of the Democratic Party was fourth with 662 votes and Emma Mwiyikinwa tailed with 128 votes.

The results were announced by Salim Ibrahim Kizindo, the Manafwa District Electoral Commission Registrar, shortly after tallying was completed on Thursday night.

Kizindo announced that a total of 35, 639 ballot papers were counted with 34, 879 as valid vote cast for candidates, 760 invalid votes and 62 spoilt ballot papers.

He also said the commission cancealled results from two polling stations for ballot staffing. The affected polling stations include Shiibito in Kato Sub County where they are 740 registered voters and Wanyama in Nalondo Sub County where there are a total of 518 voters.

In Wanyama polling stations there were a total of 531 total vote cast compared to only 518 registered voters raising suspicion to the Electoral Commission that suspected ballot stuffing and accordingly cancelled the results.

The election registered very poor turn up of voters with almost half of the 68, 862 registered voters in the 145 polling stations in Bubulo west constituency failing to vote for yet unknown reasons.

The declaration of NRM candidate as a winner in the by-election threw a section of the party supporters who gathered and waited for the outcome of the results at the tally centre at Uganda Red Cross Hall in Manfawa town council into wild celebration.

The election was held to fill the void left by suspension of Tony Kipoi Nsubuga from parliament for absenteeism. Kipoi had reportedly attended only 7 out of the 103 sittings of the second session of parliament. He is also facing charges of treason.