BUKEDEA.The controversy surrounding the alleged blockage of the National Unity Platform (NUP) flag bearer for the Bukedea Woman Member of Parliament (MP) seat, Florence Asio from getting nominated has taken a new twist with her refuting claims by her own party that she was kidnapped by her opponent and Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among.
This followed NUP’s accusation that Ms Among, who is the incumbent district Woman MP, had allegedly kidnapped Asio before her nomination on October 23, 2025, giving Among a leeway to be declared unopposed.
In a recorded video on Sunday which was widely shared on social media platforms , Ms Asio denied the allegations, apologized for the confusion, and explained that her family only learned of her NUP affiliation on the unveiling day.
“My name is Florence Asio, the NUP flagbearer for Woman MP, Bukedea district. I am here to clear the air and the rumours going around that I was kidnapped by the Speaker, as alleged by my party. In that case, I wish to categorically make it clear to everyone that I was not kidnapped,” Asio said in a circulated video .
“My decision not to appear on the nomination grounds on that day came out of family pressure, being that I am a daughter to the Speaker. Due to family pressure, I had to pull out. My decision and my intentions to contest came on short notice, and my family was not aware of it; and it came to them as a shock on the day of my unveiling. That is when the pressure started mounting. I didn’t take it seriously, but I couldn’t hold it anymore. Thank you for listening, and I appreciate you all for your understanding,” Asio stated.
Asio’s disappearance last week sparked widespread concern within NUP, which alleged that she had been abducted to block her from challenging Speaker Among, who was later declared unopposed for the seat.
On Monday, October 20 last week, NUP unveiled Asio as its new candidate for the Bukedea Woman MP seat.
NUP president Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, while announcing Asio’s candidature, accused the Electoral Commission (EC) and courts of being used to “sideline” three other women who had expressed interest in contesting against Among.
“Anita Among, using the Electoral Commission and the courts, recently had the NUP candidate, the FDC candidate, and an independent candidate removed from the Voters’ Register in order to block them from running against her in Bukedea,” Kyagulanyi said in a statement.
Speaking moments after the nomination exercise , Ms Among said she would now focus her energies on campaigning nationally for President Yoweri Museveni in the 2026 presidential race.
“I have just received reports from my district that I am unopposed. I give gratitude to God for this and my people in Bukedea for trusting me to serve them. I will now dedicate my energies to the national campaigns for our party chairman, President Museveni,” Among said.
Together with her deputy, Thomas Tayebwa, Among remains unopposed for the 2026 general elections. She had predicted this shortly after her nomination on Wednesday in an interview with the media.
Others who have been declared unopposed include Lillian Paparu Obiale (Arua District Woman MP), Catherine Akumu Mavenjina (MP for Older Persons, Northern Uganda), and Ruth Rujoki Mushabe (Kiruhura District Woman MP).
On October 21, 2025, the High Court in Kampala dismissed two applications filed by Mercy Marion Alupo of NUP and Norma Susan Otai of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), who sought to block the Electoral Commission from deleting their names from the national voters’ register.
Justice Simon Peter Kinobe of the Civil Division ruled that the applicants had failed to establish sufficient grounds for the temporary injunctions they sought.
He directed both parties to focus on the main petition in which Alupo and Otai are seeking reinstatement on the register. The EC, the sole respondent in the case, was granted two days to file an affidavit in reply, after which the applicants would file their rejoinder on the same day.
On October 8, 2025, Alupo and Otai petitioned the High Court to quash the EC’s decision upholding their deletion from the Bukedea Constituency voters’ register. They also sought a permanent injunction restraining the EC from conducting any election activities for the Bukedea District Woman MP seat until their case is determined.
Alupo told court that she is ordinarily a resident of Kotolut parish, Kidongole sub county, Bukedea County, and that her name had previously appeared on the national voters’ register.
Similarly, Otai said she is a resident of Kopeta parish, Kotir sub county, Bukedea district, and was also a registered voter there.
The two allege that on October 1, they were summoned late at night by the EC and instructed to appear the following morning without being informed of the purpose of the meeting or provided with copies of any complaints.
They claim the EC, acting on recommendations from parish tribunals in Kotolut and Kopeta, deleted their names on the basis that they were not residents of Bukedea, an allegation they insist is false.