KAMPALA.
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) election tribunal which is charged with resolving internal party disputes arising from last Thursday internal primaries has started receiving petitions from aggrieved candidates .
By Saturday evening , the 29-member tribunal comprised of many legal professionals had received 20 petitions
According to Mr Enoch Barata, the NRM Director of Legal Services, the number of petitions is likely to rise in the coming days and complaints have up to Thursday to make submissions.
“People are bringing in their petitions. As of Saturday, we had 20 petitions filed,” he said.
Mr Barata explained that most of the complaints revolve around alleged irregularities in the way results were recorded or handled by registrars. “The complaints are different, but typical of electoral processes. Either people were not satisfied with the way results were recorded, or they are not satisfied with the conduct of a registrar,” he said.
He added that no petition so far had alleged acts of violence, with the majority focusing on disputed results or perceived procedural mishandlings.
The tribunal, which has a 45-day window to handle all complaints, is expected to begin hearings on July 30, 2025. “Once a petition is received, the respondent is served and given time to file a response.
Thereafter, a hearing date is set. The process is structured much like court proceedings,” Mr Barata said.
Candidates in constituencies where no petitions are filed will be confirmed by the party’s Secretary General, while those with pending cases will await tribunal decisions before confirmation.
According to NRM guidelines, any party member who lost in the elections or any eligible registered voter may file a petition. The complainant must serve the petition to the respondent within two days of filing and the respondent is required to submit a response within five days. Service may be effected through email or other verifiable digital platforms. All petitions must include evidence upon which the claim is based.
Mr Barata urged petitioners to ensure that their submissions are detailed and supported by strong evidence. “What I advise is that these petitions must go beyond mere complaint letters. They should be clearly written and accompanied by sufficient information and documentation to enable the tribunal to assess and determine the case fairly,” he said.
Meanwhile, the NRM’s Electoral Commission chairperson, Mr Tanga Odoi, expressed optimism about the overall conduct of the primaries. He estimated the performance of the party’s electoral machinery at 80 percent.
“We have done better than before. We conducted elections in nearly all areas within the expected timeframe,” Dr Odoi said
He cited Kakumiro, Isingiro, and Karenga districts as exceptions, where voting and tallying are still pending. In Kakumiro, voting did not take place in a few villages and will be conducted afresh. In Isingiro and Karenga, vote tallying was suspended amid tensions and logistical issues, with materials now being handled from the party’s Kampala offices.
“In Isingiro, I’ve invited the concerned parties to my office today [Monday ] and we shall solve and announce the winner. In Karenga, tallying was chaotic. We stopped it and asked them to bring all documents to headquarters for verification,” Mr Odoi said.
He also addressed the situation in Namutumba, where State Minister for Lands Persis Namuganza contested. “They’re coming today (Monday). It’s a largely resolved issue. Minister Namuganza just doesn’t want to accept defeat and is blaming it on me and Speaker Anita Among, which is unfortunate,” he said.
Mr Odoi accused Ms Namuganza of spreading misinformation, referencing a similar incident during the 2020 elections. “Back then, she claimed one of her supporters had been killed. But the person hadn’t died. They had been injured in a fight. I think she expects another dramatic declaration, but not this time,” he added.
On candidates planning to contest as independents, Mr Odoi said these would be addressed in due course, but they must present credible justifications.
He acknowledged that electoral malpractice remains a challenge, but said the party would continue seeking ways to mitigate its effects.