NRM's Aidah Nabayiga Wins Kalangala Woman MP By-election

The Electoral Commission has officially declared Aidah Nabayiga, the candidate for the National Resistance Movement (NRM), as the victor in the Kalangala District Woman Member of Parliament by-election. The announcement was made by Kalangala District returning officer Ronald Agaba in the early hours of Thursday.

Nabayiga secured a total of 12,642 votes, comfortably ahead of her nearest competitor, Irene Nampala from the National Unity Platform (NUP), who received 7,474 votes. Other candidates, including Sarah Babirye (Independent), Hellen Flavia Nagawa, and Agnes Nassuna, garnered significantly fewer votes.

The by-election, triggered by the passing of NUP’s Helen Nakimuli before she could be sworn in, saw a total of 21,038 valid votes cast across 115 polling stations in the island district. The Electoral Commission reported no major incidents during polling day, commending all stakeholders for their peaceful conduct.

Nabayiga, who previously represented Kalangala for one term before losing her seat in the 2021 general election, pledged to focus on promoting unity within the district, bolstering NRM structures, and revitalizing stalled public service projects upon her return to Parliament.

However, the NUP’s Irene Nampala and her team have voiced concerns, alleging irregularities and disputing the tallying process. Nampala claimed that her polling agents were obstructed and that result forms were potentially altered, with ballot counts exceeding registered voter numbers in certain areas.

Nampala stated that her complaints were not sufficiently addressed by the returning officer and that her team is gathering evidence to decide on future actions regarding the election outcome.

Source: The Observer (Uganda)