Rwakimari loses Ruhama county NRM flag to petitioner in election ruling

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The National Resistance Movement (NRM) election disputes tribunal has overturned the declaration of Beatrice Rwakimari as the party’s flagbearer for Ruhama County, in Ntungamo district, handing the victory instead to her rival, Henry Nkwasibwe Zinkuratire.

The decision was handed down after a heated legal contest, marking a stunning reversal.

The tribunal found that Rwakimari’s earlier declaration as winner of the July 17, 2025, primary election was punctured with irregularities, including falsification of tally results, unjustified exclusion of votes from 22 polling stations, and what it described as an “unlawful re-tallying” conducted by the party’s electoral commission.

Zinkuratire had originally been declared second with 12,943 votes against Rwakimari’s 15,739. He launched a formal petition challenging the process, alleging a range of malpractices, including the exclusion of five wards and results from twelve villages that never voted.

He accused NRM electoral commission chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi and the commission of subverting the tribunal’s authority, manipulating tallies, and pushing through a flawed declaration.

His case was joined by another losing candidate, Richard Barungi, who raised further allegations of electoral violence, voter bribery, tampering with declaration of results forms, and tally manipulation, all to Rwakimari’s advantage.

Though Barungi ultimately came third, with 11,951 votes, his petition lent significant weight to Zinkuratire’s case.

Despite a spirited defence from Rwakimari’s legal team, who insisted the election and re-tallying were conducted in full compliance with NRM regulations, the tribunal was unconvinced.

Her lawyers argued that the petitioners had misinterpreted an earlier tribunal ruling and that their refusal to participate in the re-tallying exercise undermined their credibility.

But in its final ruling dated September 30, 2025, the panel led by John Musiime, who is also the tribunal’s chairperson, observed that results from at least 16 polling stations had been tampered with.

It also found that the NRM electoral commission’s decision to exclude 22 polling stations due to alleged violence and unsigned result forms was not justified under the ruling party's electoral laws.

“The declaration of the first respondent (Rwakimari) was not conducted in accordance with the law, and the proven irregularities substantially affect the result. The first petitioner, Zinkuratire, is entitled to the reliefs sought,” the tribunal stated.

Upon correcting the tally, the tribunal confirmed Zinkuratire as the actual winner with 15,524 votes, ahead of Rwakimari’s 13,391 and Barungi’s 12,965.

The tribunal officially set aside Rwakimari’s declaration and instead declared Zinkurate as the duly elected NRM flagbearer for Ruhama County.