Ssekikubo cries foul as he goes independent, says 'Rwashande hijacked my victory'

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A political rift is unfolding within the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) after long-serving Lwemiyaga County Member of Parliament (MP) Theodore Sekikubo declared he would contest the 2026 general elections as an independent candidate.

The decision comes in the wake of a ruling by the NRM electoral disputes tribunal, which upheld the nomination and primary election victory of Brig. Gen. (rtd) Emmanuel Rwashande as the party’s flag-bearer.

Sekikubo, a firebrand legislator known for his combative loyalty and criticism to the NRM party, had petitioned the tribunal alongside fellow contestant Joy Kabatsi Kafura, alleging massive irregularities during the July 17, 2025, party primaries.

Rwashande won the internal election with 16,356 votes (54.3%) to Sekikubo’s 8,702 (28.9%).

The petitioners accused the party's electoral commission of bias, claiming Rwashande lacked the minimum academic qualifications, and alleged widespread voter suppression and violence.

Why the petition was thrown out

However, in a detailed ruling, the tribunal dismissed the petition on all counts, finding that Rwashande’s academic documents had been duly verified by the National Council for Higher Education and that the petitioners had failed to present credible evidence of fraud, forgery, or significant electoral malpractice.

Even allegations surrounding a deadly shooting at a campaign rally were found to be unsupported by specific evidence.

While acknowledging that six polling stations, representing 3,257 registered voters, had not conducted elections, the tribunal concluded that the gap between the candidates was too large to have been bridged even if all those votes had gone to Sekikubo.

It also questioned the logic of petitioners seeking to overturn the results while simultaneously requesting to be declared winners, calling the position “inherently contradictory.”

Breaking point

For Sekikubo, however, the ruling marked a breaking point.

“I must stand and must be in Parliament,” he said.

“Rwashande hijacked my victory. If this is what NRM primaries have come to, then let the people decide in the General Election,” he said.

Sekikubo also alleged that voting was deliberately blocked in 29 villages, a claim the tribunal dismissed as inconsequential to the final outcome.

“They think that because they beat people in the primaries, they can silence us. But this is far from over,” he said.

“I must be in Parliament come 2026, if that is what the people of Lwemiyaga have decided,” he said.

Despite his decision to go independent, Sekikubo insists he is not walking away from the NRM entirely.

“I remain NRM. I cannot abandon NRM! But if justice is denied within, I’ll seek it from the people,” he declared.

With the tribunal’s ruling cementing Rwashande’s candidacy and Sekikubo’s break from party ranks now confirmed, Lwemiyaga is poised for a high-stakes showdown in 2026 that could test both party discipline and Sekikubo’s personal political capital in a constituency he has long dominated.

Running as an independent

But Sekikubo downplayed the impact of NRM members running as independents, saying it’s not a new phenomenon and does not necessarily weaken the party. He pointed to Vice President Jessica Alupo as an example, noting that she contested the Katakwi Woman MP seat as an independent yet remains a dedicated and hard-working member loyal to the NRM.

His defiance is part of a broader wave of rising discontent among party members dissatisfied with the conduct and outcomes of the July primaries.

In Mawogola County, Yasin Kironde is also weighing his political future after a bizarre tribunal error named a non-contestant, Kahinda Otafiire, as the respondent in a petition he filed challenging the nomination of Dez Byuma Oswald.

Kironde, who garnered 156 votes, and fellow petitioner Denis Ddumba, who received 48 votes, alleged military interference, violence, voter intimidation, and tampering with declaration forms during the primaries.

However, the tribunal dismissed the case, ruling the cited irregularities were insufficient to nullify the results.

What drew further criticism was the tribunal's ruling naming Otafiire, who was not a candidate in the race nor a resident of the area, as the respondent instead of Byuma, the declared winner with 28,400 votes.

“In law, you cannot file against Byuma and receive a ruling about Otafiire. It doesn’t make sense,” Kironde said in an interview with New Vision Online.

He also questioned the listing of Solomon Mugendawala as his legal representative, yet was represented by AHAMARK Advocates.

When contacted, NRM director legal affairs Enoch Barata said it was an error, which would be rectified. “That was a mistake. They already called me about it, and we are correcting it.”

Still, Kironde remains unconvinced and says he is now going to consult his supporters on the next steps, a possibility of yet another NRM loyalist turning independent.