INDEPENDENTS SWEEP BUNYORO IN LC5 ELECTIONS

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By Andama mosesIN BUNYOROwww.mknewslink.com—-
The ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) has suffered notable electoral setbacks in Hoima City, following the loss of all three parliamentary seats last week and, most recently, the mayoral position to an independent candidate.
According to results declared by the Hoima City Returning Officer, Ms Obra Atamba, Mr Edward Isingoma—who contested as an independent after losing the NRM primary election to the incumbent, Mr Brian Kaboyo—won the Hoima City mayoral race with 11,709 votes. Mr Kaboyo, the NRM flag bearer, obtained 9,252 votes.
Other contenders included Mr Mustafa Kahuma (Independent) with 392 votes, Mr Rashid Tumusiime of the National Unity Platform (NUP) with 238 votes, Mr Wycliff Tumusiime of the Patriotic Front for Freedom (PFF) with 117 votes, and Mr Dan Kaija (Independent), who received 76 votes.
In Hoima District, the incumbent LCV Chairperson, Mr Uthuman Mugisha Mubaraka—who contested as an independent after losing the NRM flag—was declared the winner with 25,364 votes. His closest rival, Mr Vincent Muhumuza Savanah, the NRM flag bearer, garnered 19,541 votes.
In Buliisa District, the NRM flag bearer, Mr Fred Lukumu, did not retain the LCV chairmanship. He was defeated by independent candidate Mr Twaire Atuhairwe Wandera, who secured 15,416 votes against Lukumu’s 12,637 votes.
Similarly, in Masindi District, independent candidate Mr Patrick Owobusobozi won the LCV chairmanship with 27,331 votes, defeating Mr Godfrey Byarugaba, who polled 17,686 votes.
In Kiryandongo District, the NRM registered a victory after its flag bearer, Mr Nelson Osaga, secured the LCV chairmanship with 20,646 votes, defeating the incumbent, Ms Edith Aliguma, who obtained 15,156 votes.
The party also maintained its grip in Kikuube District, where the incumbent LCV Chairperson, Mr Peter Banura, retained his seat with 37,455 votes, ahead of Mr Timanyire Fenekansi of the National Unity Platform (NUP), who polled 6,230 votes.
Greater Kibaale Sub-region
In Kagadi District, independent candidate Mr Elly Gard Tumusiime won the LCV chairmanship after polling 69,002 votes, defeating the NRM flag bearer, Mr Yosia B. Ndibwami, who received 40,524 votes. Other candidates included Mr Augustine Katuramu (1,583 votes) and Mr Zephaniah Birungi (1,523 votes), both independents.
Meanwhile, in Kakumiro District, the incumbent LCV Chairperson and NRM flag bearer, Mr Joseph Sentayi Senkusu, narrowly defeated independent candidate Mr Gerald Semanda Apuuli. Results announced by the Kakumiro District Returning Officer, Mr Honest Baguma, showed that Sentayi obtained 32,287 votes, while Semanda garnered 29,798 votes.
Results from Kibaale District will be published once officially confirmed and accessed by the mk news link.com newsroom.
Analysis
Although several NRM flag bearers lost key local government positions across the Bunyoro sub-region, political analysts note that many of the victorious independent candidates are long-standing party cadres who contested as independents after losing in the party primaries. As such, the outcomes may not necessarily signify a wholesale shift of political allegiance to opposition parties.
Analysts further observe that many of the successful independent candidates publicly expressed support for the NRM’s broader ideological orientation and were visibly aligned with the party leadership during the campaigns
It is also notable that the NRM performed strongly in the recent presidential and parliamentary elections, retaining the majority of its seats across the region, with the exception of Hoima City.
Given Hoima City’s status as a regional administrative and economic hub, the latest developments may nonetheless carry strategic implications, depending on how the party adjusts its internal processes and electoral strategies going forward.