The Kisoro District LCV Chairperson, Abel Bizimana, has condemned what he describes as widespread voter bribery and sectarianism in the recently concluded National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries in Bufumbira East, where he garnered a total of 588 votes.
Bizimana, a long-serving district leader, suffered a heavy defeat in the parliamentary race held on Thursday, managing only 588 votes out of 31,697 cast. The race was won by Roland Kanya Nkrumah with 16,725 votes, followed by Dr. James Nsababuturo with 12,756, Tumwizere Christopher with 1,384, and Dr. Adrian Niyimpa Dungu, who polled 243 votes.
Following the results, Bizimana took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to express disappointment, accusing some candidates of spending exorbitant amounts to buy votes.
He claimed that in rural areas, votes were being purchased for up to Shs 130,000, while in urban centers, the price rose to Shs 250,000 per voter.
Bizimana tweeted, “My party, oh my party! This is not an election but a money display by our rich oligarchs. I wish the money had been used for service delivery. Young Turks in the party are suffocated, but we shall find a way to participate in the leadership of our country. Friends, don’t blame yourselves or the voters.
We failed to match the money—it was so abnormal. We got a voter price going up to 130,000 per voter in rural areas and 250,000 in urban centers. What do you expect someone who hasn’t paid school fees to do in the eyes of the camera?”Find
Bizimana also alleged that religious and traditional affiliations are increasingly influencing elections in Kisoro, warning that this trend could lead to incompetent leadership.
“NRM is not a home of equals. In Bufumbira East, it moved from NRM to Kingdom vs. Bulayi with a religious tinge. In my constituency, NRM is a theatre of money bags—not an election. My NRM big brothers—Caesar/Emperor and Bulayi/Hoarder—fight for the flag, but I will go to Parliament.
Each constituency has its peculiarities. For Bufumbira East, Kingdom/Religion on one side and Bulayi/Religion on the other faced off. The incumbent would have won, except that they were tired of him. The rest of us had to settle for less money and minority religion,” Bizimana tweeted.
Despite his loss, Bizimana urged his supporters to remain calm and vowed to return in the 2026 general elections, where he said the true essence of democracy would be tested in a free and fair environment.
Bizimana added, “Whoever wins—Kingdom vs. Bulayi—let us meet at the Uganda Electoral Commission. Twakowa. I knew it would happen anyway, but I had to show NRM, my party, that we the new Turks won’t give up on aristocratic oligarchy. I am coming as an independent candidate. We have got a flag bearer, not an MP. NRM has buried us.”
Meanwhile, Adrian Dungu Niyimpa, also an aspirant for the same seat, has rejected the NRM primary results and announced he will contest as an independent candidate for Bufumbira East.
In a press release issued on 19th July 2025, Dungu stated that the election process in Bufumbira East was marred by serious irregularities and acts of violence, including threats, beatings, and intimidation of voters and polling agents. He claimed that many were chased away from polling stations and that underage individuals were allowed to vote openly in several areas.
Dungu further noted instances of multiple voting, with some individuals casting ballots in more than one line due to the use of an outdated NRM register, and a failure to follow proper voter verification procedures.
He also cited gross accounting errors and systematic rigging that, according to him, compromised the credibility of the results. He stated that all the irregularities rendered the entire process undemocratic and unfair.
Dungu said, “After wide consultation and listening to the concerns of many constituents, I wish to officially announce that I will be contesting in the upcoming general election as an independent candidate for Member of Parliament for Bufumbira East.”
Dr. Adrian Niyimpa Dungu further clarified that he remains committed to the values of service, and that his decision is based on a shared belief in inclusive leadership, integrity, equal opportunity, and development for all. He emphasized that his campaign remains focused on the real issues.
