Dr. Mutono declared NRM flag bearer for Butebo constituency

 

 

Mutono was declared at 1:15am by the NRM district returning officer Augustine Keddi at Butebo sub county headquarters in Pallisa.

 

Mutono got 16,316 votes and beat six others to take the NRM ticket that include, Beatrice Asire Mallinga, Muhmuza Musosa, Kefa Kuchana, Monica Musenero,  Richard Oseku and Keddi.

 

Beatrice Osire Mallinga came second with 10,742 votes while Richard Oseku collected 10,732 votes.

 

Earlier,  there was a delay in the delivery of ballot papers to most of the polling stations across the constituency which led to the delay in voting and several polling stations either received less ballot papers compared to the voters or received more than the number of the voters.

 

“We continuously received calls from our agents across the constituency that ballot papers were either less than the number of the voters or more than the number of the voters,” Dr.Monica Musenero one of the aspirants said.

 

Musenero named some the affected polling stations as Akoboi where Beatrice Mallinga voted from, Kachocha polling station in Petete Sub County, Kosingi polling station, Kasiebai polling station and Kabelai polling station.

 

The election process was also disrupted by the heavy territorial rains that are ravaging the region forcing the agents, security officers and NRM registrars to flee the polling station for shelter in near school classes, churches and sub county headquarters.

 

 

National Resistance Movement vice chairperson, Elijah Mushemeza said that the elections were free and fair and also appealed to the candidates who lost to join Dr. Mutono camp and look for votes as one family. 

 

“We should not turn this victory into hatred but use it to hunt for more votes so that we can deny oppositions victory in the by-election,” Mushemeza said.

 

The Malaba regional police commander, Peter Kakonge said that the elections were peacefully with only one case of inciting violence reported at Kibale polling station in Kibale sub county, adding the deployment was heavy to give no chance to the hooligans to disrupt the voting process.

 

“We could not take it for granted because the elections are in house. All the polling stations were manned by police officer with the help of the candidate’s agents and NRM Registrars,” Kakonge said.

 

He said that other cases like ballot staffing, voting more than one time and open bribery of voters near different polling stations were reported but police investigated and found out that the allegations were baseless.

 

However, Dr. Mutono thanked all the people of Butebo constituency for voting wisely and entrusting him with NRM flag and promised that they will never regret, adding that he does not want to go to parliament to amass wealth but he wants to serve the people of Butebo.

 

“I have longed for this chance so many times but with God everything is possible. But I also appeal to the candidates who were in the race with me to join me and give support so that we can get victory come 6th June, ” Mutono said.

 

The Nomination of candidates will start tomorrow at Pallisa district headquarters at 9:00am and will take two days. 

 

The Butebo constituency seat fell vacant following the death of its Member of Parliament Dr. Stephen Malinga who was also the  Minister of Disaster Preparedness