The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party Election Dispute Tribunal has confirmed Dr. Sylivia Tumuheirwe Alinaitwe as the party’s official flag bearer for Rukiga District Woman Member of Parliament in the 2026 general elections.
The ruling followed the dismissal of a petition by Caroline Kamusiime Muhwezi, who finished second in the July 17th primaries with 12,866 votes against Dr. Alinaitwe’s 43,308 votes (77.1%). Kamusiime accused her rival of bribery, vote rigging, and violating the 2025 NRM election guidelines.
Represented by Advocates Drake Tumwebaze and Humphrey Rugambanengwe, Ms. Kamusiime alleged that electoral officials, including District Returning Officer Twaha Sebowa Yaryakumanya, openly campaigned against her.
She further claimed that election registrars were bribed with amounts ranging from Shs 300,000 to Shs 500,000 and that voters were given Shs 10,000 each.
She also alleged that Alinaitwe paid large sums to village, sub-county, and district officials to secure support, including Shs 5 million to a returning officer, Shs 1.5 million to a District Internal Security Officer, and other amounts to local leaders.
In her defence, Dr. Alinaitwe, represented by Advocates Dennis Twijukye and Justus Muhangi, denied all accusations, calling them “false, baseless, and without proof.”
She insisted she neither appointed nor paid Yaryakumanya, had no role in the appointment or transfer of election officials, and maintained that Kamusiime was “a bad loser” unwilling to accept defeat.
The tribunal, chaired by John Musiime with members Patrick Rutembana and Ronald Tusingwire, found that while some irregularities may have occurred, the petitioner failed to prove they affected the election outcome.
“The allegations involved a limited number of polling stations compared to the wider Rukiga District and would not have materially altered the margin of 30,442 votes,” the ruling stated.
The tribunal also cautioned politicians against making criminal allegations against third parties without evidence.
Having failed to prove her case, Kamusiime’s petition was dismissed, and Dr. Alinaitwe’s victory was upheld.
