In a contested primary that continues to reverberate through Uganda’s ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal has been asked to dismiss a high-profile petition filed by Hudu Hussein, a former resident city commissioner and candidate for member of Parliament in Mbale City’s Northern division.
Hussein is challenging the legitimacy of Umar Nangoli’s victory in the July 17 party primaries, citing what he describes as a “systematic and violent manipulation” of the vote.
In court documents filed through Origo Advocates, Hussein accuses Nangoli and local NRM electoral officials of vote tampering, voter intimidation, and outright fraud—allegations that Nangoli denies in full.
The petition sets up a dramatic legal and political battle within Uganda’s most powerful political party, one that could test the integrity of its internal democratic processes ahead of the 2026 general elections. According to official results, Nangoli edged out Hussein by a narrow margin of 591 votes—garnering 22,166 votes to Hussein’s 21,575.
But Hussein insists the outcome was the product of deeply flawed and manipulated polling, particularly at two contentious stations: Kinyoli A and Kinyoli B. In a sworn affidavit, Hussein alleges that Nangoli’s agents campaigned openly on election day at Kinyoli A, intimidated voters, and violently disrupted his supporters.
He claims electoral officials abandoned the polling process altogether and falsely recorded 500 votes for Nangoli—while awarding him zero, despite 525 votes having been cast. He describes a similarly chaotic scene at Kinyoli B, where he alleges there was no public vote counting.
Instead, officials, he says, colluded with Nangoli’s team behind closed doors, assigning 661 votes to Nangoli and just 42 to him. Hussein claims that his agents were ignored or coerced into signing results forms under duress, and he has submitted a flash drive with video and audio recordings to support his claims.
NANGOLI’S DEFENCE: “THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE”
Nangoli, represented by Shoebill Advocates, has pushed back forcefully. He insists the election was free, fair and transparent— and that Hussein’s petition is both politically motivated and legally hollow.
In a counter-affidavit, Nangoli not only denies any wrongdoing but accuses Hussein and one of his polling agents, Mahoota LC1 chairperson Jonathan Malunda, of inciting violence. He submitted a police report that claims Malunda assaulted one of Nangoli’s agents at a polling station in Mahoota.
Nangoli also challenged Hussein’s version of events at Kinyoli B, arguing that Hussein had no official polling agent stationed there. That claim is supported by Isaac Were, the village registrar, who filed a sworn affidavit affirming that votes were counted publicly and results were accurately recorded.
Were stated that voters lined up behind their preferred candidates—a common method used in local primaries—and that the tally gave Nangoli 500 votes, Seth Wambende 25, and zero to both Hussein and Ismail Walunjo.
“Mr. Hussein’s claims are entirely without merit,” Nangoli said in his written response.
“The people of Northern City division spoke clearly and decisively.”
A TRIBUNAL UNDER PRESSURE
The case is one of 381 petitions filed with the NRM Election Disputes Tribunal following the July primaries—an unprecedented volume that reflects deep fractures and contested legitimacy within the party.
The tribunal, chaired by lawyer John Musiime, is scheduled to hear Hussein’s case on August 1, 2025. Its ruling could set a precedent for how the party handles intra-party grievances and allegations of election fraud in the run-up to the 2026 general elections.
MEANWHILE, NEW BATTLES LOOM
As the tribunal gears up for Hussein’s hearing, the NRM Electoral Commission is forging ahead with preparations for its Local Government primaries. Chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi has announced a tight schedule for the next phase of internal elections.
Aspiring candidates will collect nomination forms from July 28 to August 4, with nomination submissions accepted between August 5 and 9. Campaigns will run from August 10 to 13, culminating in local government elections on August 14 and 16.
Dr Odoi urged candidates and communities to conduct issue-based campaigns and avoid the kind of violent confrontations that marred several constituencies during the July primaries.
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