Kikuube by-election: Maj. Gen. Kyaligonza’s son to carry NRM flag

KIKUUBE - Philip Mbabazi Burnet, the elder brother of the late Peter Banura, the former Kikuube district chairman, has been elected NRM flag bearer in an election that registered a low turnout of voters.

Burnet, who was elected on Thursday 21, May 2026, will represent the party in the Kikuube by-election set for June 18.

The election followed the death of the incumbent district chairperson, Peter Banura, in a car crash on April 4, 2026.  Banura, the son of Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Matayo Kyaligonza was hit by a fast-moving taxi in Butyamba-Kamusunsi village, Kiziranfumbi town council, on the Hoima-Fort Portal highway.

Mbabazi beat up three candidates after he scored 23,279 of votes (58%), while his Paddy Kisembo who garnered 16,459 votes (41%).

Others in the race include Dickson Tusabe, who polled 343 votes (0.9%), while Valentino Rubasharaza polled 81 votes (0.2%).

The results were declared by the Kikuube district NRM registrar, Pascal Musuuga, on Friday morning at around 1am.

Musuga said that the election was free and fair and commended the people who participated in the election for adhering to election guidelines, which enabled the commission to deliver a free, fair and peaceful election.

However, he expressed concern that few people embraced the election. Kikuube district has 335 polling stations, and NRM has 91,488 registered voters.

Fred Jachan Omach, the NRM Electoral Commission Vice Chairperson, who led six NRM electoral commissioners to oversee the election, called on all the contenders to respect the outcome since it is one family, and this was an internal election. 

He appealed to them to back the flag bearer on June 18 to consolidate support against the candidates who will be presented by other parties.

Speaking to reporters after being declared a winner of the party polls, Mbabazi revealed that the exercise was free and fair, though with a few irregularities in some places like the harassment of his supporters.

He commended the people of Kikuube for supporting him with the flag and urged them to continue even in the coming Electoral Commission election.

He promised to take forward the agenda of his late brother, such as promoting tourism, Agriculture, fighting the sale of jobs in the district and fighting against land grabbing.
Paddy Kisembo rejected the results and vowed to bounce back as an independent in the June 18th by-election.

He noted that the election was marred with irregularities such as intimidation, which scared many of his supporters from turning up, multiple voting and voter bribery among others.