The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Electoral Commission has declared Jacqueline Mbabazi as the party’s flag bearer for the Member of Parliament representing Older Persons in the Western Region.
Mbabazi, wife to former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, won the fresh election after defeating her rival Patrick Kyamukate Mutabwire by 52 votes.
She polled 189 votes (58%) against Kyamukate’s 137 votes (42%), according to results announced by NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi, on Tuesday.
The declaration followed a repeat election ordered by the NRM Election Disputes Tribunal, which had earlier nullified Mbabazi’s initial victory over alleged voting irregularities.
In its earlier ruling, the Tribunal, chaired by Counsel John Musiime, with members Nelson Kamuhanda and Esau Isingoma, found that several anomalies had compromised the integrity of the first poll.
These included duplicate entries in the voters’ register, illegal voter replacements, and votes cast in the names of deceased individuals.
The Tribunal noted that although Mbabazi had initially been declared winner, new evidence presented by Mutabwire revealed that 28 voters appeared more than once, five were illegally substituted, and three deceased individuals were listed as voters.
It also found that while 364 people were eligible to vote, 430 votes were recorded—an excess of 66 ballots.
Due to these findings, the Tribunal nullified the results and ordered a fresh election within 14 days, citing both qualitative and quantitative irregularities that rendered the previous process invalid.
In the repeat election, Mbabazi regained victory with an expanded margin, reaffirming her position as the NRM flag bearer for the Western Region Older Persons Parliamentary seat.
