NRM secretary resigns citing poor handling of election petitions

Kayunga, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Joseph Owuma, the Kayunga district National Resistance Movement-NRM party secretary has resigned citing poor handling of petitions arising from the primaries.

According to Owuma, the district NRM office received about 20 petitions from primaries for local government positions. But none of the petitions was reviewed since the polls ended.

Owuma adds that the Kayunga district NRM chairperson, Moses Karangwa has been feuding with the district registrar Fred Watuwa which has almost grounded the party activities. He says the tension started after the registrar declared winners who were opposed to the party chairperson.

But Fred Watuwa, the Kayunga district NRM registrar says the decision by Owuma to resign could be a calculated political move to exaggerate irregularities in the party primaries. “I have also been placed under pressure to swallow my own words by overturning what I declared. But I have decided to maintain what I declared since it was the will of people,” Watuwa said.

Karangwa has also denied any role in the resignation of the secretary saying leadership involves free entry and exit.

On Monday, Mukono High Court Judge David Batema started hearing a petition filed by Jackeline Birungi Kobusingye seeking to overturn the declaration of her rival, Agatha Nalubwama as the Kayunga Woman NRM parliamentary candidate.

Nalubwama garnered 38,562 votes against 33,632 votes polled by Kobusingye. In her petition, Kobusingye said that several minors and none registered voters participated in the elections and that results from some polling stations were not included on the final tally which renders the results void.

******

URN