Hon. Asha Lubyayi Kayanja, one of the candidates in the recent NRM primary elections in Rakai District, has formally petitioned the party’s election disputes tribunal, challenging the victory of incumbent MP Juliet Kinyamatama.
Lubyayi, who came second in the race with 30,400 votes against Kinyamatama’s 44,000, alleges that the election process was marred by voter intimidation, use of unmarked drones, military interference, and open bribery. In her petition, she claims that the electoral environment was neither fair nor free.
According to sources close to the matter, Hon. Kinyamatama is alleged to have paid over UGX 20 million to military commanders at Masaka barracks, leading to the deployment of armed military operatives during the voting period — a move that critics say may have significantly influenced the outcome of the election.
Adding weight to the allegations, Maj. Gen. Elly Kayanja, former commander of Operation Wembley and brother to Asha Lubyayi, publicly condemned the conduct of the NRM primaries in Rakai. He described the election as a sham, saying it reflects the death of internal democracy within Uganda’s ruling party.
“There is no democracy in Uganda,” said Maj. Gen. Kayanja, while commenting on what he called a militarized and manipulated primary election process.
The NRM electoral tribunal is currently receiving complaints and is expected to begin hearings into the matter in the coming weeks. Lubyayi has called for the nullification of the results and demands a fresh, transparent election process.
