The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Busia, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hellen Auma Wandera has been declared the winner of the NRM primaries in Busia district after a vote recount. On Saturday, the party registrar Rose Wejuli declared Nabwire Sharon Veron Namumayi, the winner of the Woman MP’s flag based on partial results.
The results showed that Nabwire had secured 30,747, followed by Fiona Nakku with 28,480 votes and, Hellen Auma Wandera with 27,000. The other contenders included Nina Nekesa who had 8,906, Esther Busingye Wafula with 5,084, Grace Nyakecho 4,089, Teddy Auma with 2,670 and Lilian Taaka who polled 2,299 votes.
However, the declaration was made before tallying results from six; Busitema, Bulumbi, Sikuda, Buyanga, Namungodi and Tiira town councils. But also, the contenders challenged the outcome and called for a recount of the votes, saying that the results which were read out by the presiding officer did not match with that they were given by their agent.
Fiona Nakku, one of the Aspirants says that her declaration forms had different results compared with what the presiding officer is using. She said that the results that were not matching included those from the four sub-counties of Busima, Masinya, Masaba and Buteba.
By this morning, upon completion of the recount and the final tally from all the voting areas, Auma had 18,182 votes followed by Fiona Nakku who polled 16,223 while Nabwire Sharon Veron who had been declared winner got 15,444, almost half of what she had allegedly gathered in the first count.
Busia district NRM chairman Eric Masiga says that they were overwhelmed with disputes from women aspirants which prompted the vote recount. Hellen Auma Wandera, the NRM ticket winner expressed joy for the results and appealed for support from opponents in the coming general elections.
Barbara Nekesa Oundo, Uganda’s Ambassador to South Africa, who was sent by the party to monitor elections says that the recount of votes was aimed at showing the level transparency and fairness within the NRM party. She appealed to aspirants accept the results.
But Nabwire, the initial winner of the polls said she cannot accept the outcome of the recount.
********
URN
