Tension and confusion rocked the Masaka District Electoral Commission nomination centre on Wednesday after a man identified as Jamiru Kivumbi was allegedly nominated as the National Unity Platform (NUP) flag bearer for Bukoto Central Constituency, sparking outrage from party officials and supporters.
According to reports, Kivumbi’s nomination was facilitated early in the morning by the Masaka District Returning Officer, before the arrival of the rightful NUP candidate, Alex Kalinzi Ntamu, who reached the venue at around 9:30 a.m.
By then, the NUP umbrella symbol which is reserved for officially endorsed party candidates had already been used in Kivumbi’s nomination, effectively locking out the genuine flag bearer and causing chaos at the centre.
In an official statement, the National Unity Platform (NUP) has accused the Masaka District Returning Officer and a group of what it calls “regime operatives” of conspiring to fraudulently nominate a wrong candidate.
“Yesterday, one Jamiru Kivumbi conspired with the Masaka District Returning Officer and other regime factionaries to have himself nominated as a parliamentary candidate for Bukoto Central Constituency under the National Unity Platform,” the statement reads in part.
The party says by the time their rightful flag bearer, Ntamu, arrived at the nomination venue around 9:30 a.m., the alleged imposter had already completed the nomination process.
NUP added that it immediately petitioned the Electoral Commission (EC), demanding that Kivumbi be “de-nominated” and that the rightful candidate be duly nominated.
“As soon as this matter was brought to our attention, the Party wrote to the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, requesting that the imposter be de-nominated and the rightful candidate nominated,” NUP stated.
The party further revealed that the Electoral Commission had assured them the complaint would be handled “expeditiously,” expressing hope for a quick resolution.
In the meantime, NUP said it had lodged formal complaints of fraud and impersonation against Kivumbi and his alleged collaborators.
“We condemn this fraudulent conduct in the strongest terms possible,” the party emphasized, vowing to pursue justice through all available legal and electoral avenues.
The Electoral Commission had not yet publicly responded to the allegations by press time.
