Presiding officer arrested, colleague on the run

Namisindwa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Namisindwa Police are holding a presiding officer and hunting another for alleged electoral malpractice. The suspects include Saulo Nanongo, a parish chief who served as presiding officer at Lushu Centre polling station in Tsekululu Sub-county, and David Bwayo, the Tsekululu Sub-county supervisor.
During Thursday’s local government elections, Nanongo allegedly inflated votes in favour of Wilson Walimbwa. Walimbwa reportedly received 97 votes at Lushu Centre, but the results reflected 197 votes, a change that allegedly secured him victory. While tallying results at the Namisindwa District tally centre, incumbent district councillor and candidate Moses Waburoko petitioned the District Registrar, Silyvia Chepegei Nagendo, to verify the figures.
After verification, officials discovered that someone had altered the results. Later the same day, the registrar declared Waburoko the duly elected district councillor for Tsekululu Sub-county on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket. Following the discovery, the registrar ordered the immediate arrest of David Bwayo for alleged election malpractice.
In an exclusive interview with our reporter on Monday, Waburoko said the differing results shocked him, noting that the declaration form carried figures that did not match those announced at the polling station, prompting him to petition. Waburoko said authorities must allow the law to take its course against the two officials and warned that their prosecution should deter others who accept bribes to manipulate election results.
Namisindwa District Registrar Silyvia Chepegei Nagendo confirmed the incident and said she handed the matter over to the police for investigations. Namisindwa District Police Commander Rich Addie said Saulo Nanongo remains on the run. “Police will do everything possible to arrest him and charge him with election malpractice,” Rich said.
According to the registrar, Moses Waburoko of the NRM won the election with 824 votes. Wilson Walimbwa, an independent candidate, came second with 770 votes. Ivan Wabweni polled 298 votes, while Mark Wekoye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) received one vote. By press time, Wilson Walimbwa had not commented on the matter, as his phone remained unreachable.
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