MITOOMA. New information is merging about how Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa sailed throw unopposed as Ruhinda North Constituency.
This came after his rival, Osbert Kato, claimed that he was blocked from being nominated to contest for the same seat in January General Election.
Kato, who was holding a National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, was scheduled for nomination on Thursday — the final day of the exercise — at 10 a.m., according to the Electoral Commission’s schedule. However, his attempt to formalize his candidacy ended in controversy and frustration.
“I went to the nomination venue with my forms and supporters. After submitting my papers, I was asked to step out. Later, they called me back in and returned my academic documents, saying they only needed forms with National Identification Numbers (NINs),” Kato said while speaking to this publication
He alleged that officials began “scrutinizing” the NIN numbers of his seconding supporters until 1 p.m., when they broke off for lunch. During the break, Deputy Speaker Tayebwa reportedly arrived and was swiftly nominated.
“Deputy Speaker Tayebwa was nominated during the lunch break, even though I was supposed to be first,” Kato said. “When officials returned at 3 p.m., I was called in at 4 p.m. but not allowed to enter with my nominator or seconders.”
Kato further claims that upon entering the room, he was told his NIN number was invalid — despite having used it to generate a Payment Registration Number (PRN) to pay his nomination fees. When he challenged the officials, he says they changed their reasoning.
According to Kato, the EC officials later altered the NIN numbers of three of his supporters on his forms, declaring them invalid. “One of them was my younger brother who had just received his National ID. It became clear they were trying to block me,” he alleged.
After submitting alternative NINs from supporters waiting outside, Kato says he was told to fill new nomination forms and travel to Kampala for stamping by the NUP Secretary General.
When he requested his original nomination documents for use as court evidence, officials reportedly refused to release them. A NUP lawyer advised him to request a written explanation for his rejection, which stated that he lacked academic documents, had wrong NINs, and failed to provide payment proof.
Kato claims that when the NUP Mitooma District Chairperson tried to record evidence of the incident, security personnel confiscated his phone and deleted all footage.
NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi popularly known as Bobi Wine, has since condemned the incident, calling it “a shame and a deliberate act of political suppression.”
Tayebwa’s unopposed bid mirrors that of Speaker Anita Among, whose rivals were either disqualified, arrested, or allegedly intimidated ahead of the nomination exercise.This means both are now free to engage in other NRM party activities and Parliamentary work without any pressures from the constituencies ahead of next year’s General Election .