EC Rejects NRM’s Mbabazi in Kikuube LCV By-Election Nomination
Mbabazi rejected the Electoral Commission’s decision and said he would consult further before announcing his next course of action.
Kikuube: The Electoral Commission (EC) has declined to nominate Phillip Mbabazi Barnet, the winner of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries for the Kikuube District LCV Chairperson by-election, citing inconsistencies in his academic documents.
According to Kikuube District Electoral Commission Returning Officer Emmanuel Twine, only two candidates were successfully nominated out of the six aspirants who picked nomination forms. The nominated candidates are Paddy Kisembo, contesting on the NRM ticket, and Phenecance Timanyire of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Twine explained that Mbabazi was denied nomination because his academic documents bear different names, raising concerns about their authenticity and consistency. One document reportedly carries the name Phillip Mbabazi Barnet while another bears Phillip Mbabazi Kyaligonza.
He said the Electoral Commission will meet the nominated candidates on Wednesday to harmonize campaign schedules ahead of the official campaign period, which will run from May 28 to June 8.
Speaking on the matter, Rosemary Sseninde, the NRM Director for Mobilization, said the party had resolved to back Paddy Kisembo as its official flag bearer following Mbabazi’s disqualification.
Sseninde noted that Mbabazi’s academic credentials had also not been verified by the Uganda National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), despite the fact that he studied in the United States. With the nomination deadline expiring, the party opted to field Kisembo to avoid missing representation in the June 18 by-election.
She explained that after consultations involving the party’s electoral commission chairperson, secretary general and legal team, the NRM agreed to endorse Kisembo because he had also participated in the party primaries and remained eligible for nomination.
However, Mbabazi rejected the Electoral Commission’s decision and said he would consult further before announcing his next course of action.
Meanwhile, NUP candidate Phenecance Timanyire pledged to improve service delivery across Kikuube District if elected. Paddy Kisembo declined to comment to the media following his nomination.
With nominations now closed, the Kikuube District LCV Chairperson by-election is set to be a two-horse race between Paddy Kisembo of NRM and Phenecance Timanyire of NUP ahead of the June 18 poll.
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