NRM tribunal nullifies Jacqueline Mbabazi’s election over massive irregularities

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has nullified Jacqueline Mbabazi’s election as the party’s flag bearer for a member of parliament representing older persons in the Western Region.

Mbabazi, the wife of former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, lost her initial victory after the tribunal ruled that the election was marred by serious irregularities, including votes that were erroneously added to her tally.

The decision was delivered on Thursday by tribunal chairperson John Musiime, alongside members Nelson Kamuhanda and Esau Isingoma, who ordered the NRM Electoral Commission to organise a fresh election within 14 days.

The ruling follows a second petition filed by Patrick Kyamukate Mutabwire, who had earlier challenged Mbabazi’s victory but lost. In the first decision on September 5, 2025, the tribunal admitted there were some errors, such as an additional 46 votes mistakenly added to Mbabazi’s total, but maintained that the discrepancies did not alter the outcome, as she still led by seven votes.

Unsatisfied, Mutabwire returned to the tribunal seeking a review of that ruling, presenting what he described as new and critical evidence that was not available during the original hearing.

Fresh evidence 

Mutabwire’s fresh petition included a certified copy of the voters’ register issued by the NRM Electoral Commission after the initial ruling, additional affidavits and video footage supporting claims of vote manipulation.

The certified register revealed shocking discrepancies: 28 people appeared more than once on the voter roll, five voters were illegally replaced, and three deceased individuals were listed as having voted.

Although only 364 voters were eligible, a total of 430 votes were recorded, an excess of 66 votes. Mutabwire argued that these irregularities were so severe that the previous decision could not stand.

The tribunal accepted the new evidence, noting that it had not been available earlier despite the applicant’s efforts to obtain it. Notably, Mbabazi and Dr Tanga Odoi, the NRM Electoral Commission chairperson, did not respond to the application or present any counter-evidence.

In its ruling, the tribunal stated that the irregularities were both quantitative, with more votes cast than the number of eligible voters, and qualitative, affecting the integrity of the voter register.

Once there is over-voting of this scale, it becomes impossible to know the true will of the voters, the tribunal noted.

Mutabwire requested that the tribunal declare him the winner, claiming that his calculations placed him ahead by 29 votes if illegal votes were discounted. However, the tribunal declined, explaining that it could not accurately determine how the excess votes were allocated.

“Declaring a new winner without full certainty would be speculation, which the law does not allow,” the tribunal ruled.

Instead, the tribunal nullified the election and directed the NRM Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh poll in strict compliance with the Constitution and party regulations.

This is the second major nullification to emerge from the NRM’s August 2025 Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections, the party’s top decision-making organ. A few weeks ago, the same tribunal nullified the election of Collins Tanga, son of Dr Tanga Odoi, as NRM Youth League chairperson.

That election was challenged by rival Brenda Kiconco and others over a conflict of interest, as Odoi presided over the poll and declared his son the winner. The election was repeated, and Collins Tanga won again in the re-run. The fresh election for the Western Region Older Persons MP flag bearer is now expected to take place within two weeks, as ordered by the tribunal.