Kisoro Municipality Member of Parliament aspirant, Dr. Leo Mfitimana, has officially petitioned the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Tribunal, citing numerous irregularities that he claims undermined the integrity of the party’s recent primary elections.
In his petition dated July 19, 2025, Dr. Mfitimana challenges the outcome of the primaries in which Hon. Sam Byibesho was declared the NRM flag bearer. He alleges that the electoral process was marred by illegal practices and manipulation of the voters’ register.
One of the primary concerns raised in the petition is the alleged inclusion of underage voters. Dr. Mfitimana claims that children below the age of 18, many of them school-going, were illegally allowed to vote in multiple polling centers across the municipality, a practice he describes as both unlawful and damaging to the credibility of the election.
He also accuses electoral officials of failing to publicly read the voters’ register in several villages, including Kamonyi, Gishegera, Nyagashinge, Chahi, Karumena, Kisoro Main, Kabaya, Kisoro Hill, Kasemisego, Zindiro, and Gase.
He argues that this lack of transparency created opportunities for voter fraud.
In his home village of Mikingo, Dr. Mfitimana alleges gross manipulation of the register. He claims that although the yellow book initially listed 938 registered voters, only 342 appeared on the actual polling day register, a discrepancy he believes was a deliberate effort to exclude eligible voters.
He asserts that such irregularities significantly contributed to his second-place finish.
Given these concerns, Dr. Mfitimana has called on the NRM Electoral Commission to conduct a thorough audit of the Kisoro Municipality primaries and to consider organizing a re-run of the election.
He insists that such measures are necessary to restore public trust in the party’s internal democratic processes.
He further warned that should the issues raised in his petition go unaddressed, he will be compelled to contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming general elections to ensure that the voices of his supporters are not silenced.
