Incumbent Namayingo LC5 chairperson Sanya wins NRM flag, rival cries foul

NAMAYINGO - Namayingo district LC5 chairperson Ronald Sanya has secured the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag for the 2026 general election. |

The development comes after Sanya emerged victorious in the party primaries.

The ruling party yesterday, July 24, 2025, held its local government council primaries (for division mayors, Lord mayor, municipality mayors, LC3 chairperson, town council/municipal division mayor, directly elected councillors at the district, municipal and sub-county level and woman councillor at district, municipal and subcounty level) across the whole country in over 70,000 villages.

The primaries followed those of the Member of Parliament held a week earlier.

Sanya garnered 40,016 votes, defeating his closest rival, former Bukooli South Member of Parliament Patrick Peter Ochieng, who polled 19,042 votes.

Other contenders were Banda sub-county LC3 Chairperson Ogutu Boniventure, who received 3,252 votes, and Namayingo district council deputy speaker Sharif Mukoha, who trailed with 2,829 votes.

Speaking shortly after his declaration as the official NRM flag-bearer, Sanya, who is seeking a third term in office, thanked his electorate for entrusting him with the party’s flag for the first time.

“I have been trying to win the NRM ticket since 2016, but it kept slipping away. This time, God has done it for me. I am grateful to the people of Namayingo for believing in my vision,” Sanya said.

This victory marks the first time Sanya will be contesting in a general election as the official NRM candidate for the LC5 seat, despite holding the position since 2016.

Sanya promised to prioritise industrialisation and skills development as key pillars of his next term if he emerges victorious in the 2026 general election. This is aimed at uplifting household incomes and tackling poverty at the grassroots.

“We have made progress in education and health, but now it’s time to emphasise economic empowerment through creating income-generating opportunities for our people through skilling programmes and setting up small-scale industries. If people have money in their pockets, they can fight poverty and disease more effectively,” he said.

Results rejected

However, the victory was not without dispute. Ochieng, Sanya’s main challenger, rejected the results, alleging widespread electoral malpractice and irregularities.
“It would be a betrayal of the people of Namayingo to accept these results. What we witnessed was not democracy, it was outright theft,” Ochieng said.

He claimed that there was voter bribery, alteration of results and intimidation of polling agents.

“There was bribery, intimidation, alteration of results and even violence. This is not the civilisation we preach. The party must act.”

He further revealed plans to file a formal petition to the NRM electoral commission, insisting that the party has internal mechanisms to handle such grievances.

“The party must know the truth of what happened here. People were beaten in places like Lwangosia, and our agents were chased from polling stations. If this goes unaddressed, our community risks slipping into paralysis,” he said.

On the other hand, Sharif Makoha, one of the contenders, conceded defeat and pledged to support Ronald Sanya, the NRM flag bearer, in the forthcoming 2026 general elections.

He emphasised the importance of unity within the party and vowed to work together to ensure NRM retains leadership in Namayingo district.