The National Resistance Movement’s plans for the Kikuube District LC5 by-election were thrown into disarray Tuesday after the Electoral Commission declined to nominate the party’s flag bearer, Philip Mbabazi Burnet, citing inconsistencies in his academic documents.
Mbabazi, son of former NRA bush war veteran and retired Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza, was blocked from the race after officials found his documents carried three different names: Philip Mbabazi Burnet, Philip Kyaligonza, and Philip Mbabazi.
The rejection came just days after Mbabazi won the NRM primaries convincingly with 23,279 votes, 58% of the total. Paddy Kisembo followed with 16,459 votes, 41%, while Dickson Tushabe and Valentino Rubasharaza trailed with 343 and 81 votes respectively.
‘Mbabbazi was not nominated because he had errors in his documents and we could not go ahead and nominate him because this could be against the law,’ said Kikuube District Returning Officer Emmanuel Twine.
‘The way we conduct our activities is guided by the law as well as electoral guidelines, and that is the reason why he was not nominated,’ he added.
Twine said the commission only nominated two candidates for the race: Phenhansi Timanyire of the National Unity Platform and Paddy Kisembo, now running under the NRM banner.
‘We have nominated two candidates… As the Electoral Commission, we want to ensure that we engage the nominated candidates and come up with a programme that will guide their campaigns,’ Twine said.
He stressed that the commission relies strictly on submitted documents and cannot proceed where discrepancies exist. ‘The commission does not work on assumptions. We rely on documents presented before us and ensure that they comply with the law. Where there are discrepancies, the candidate must first resolve them before being considered.’
The NRM has since shifted its support to Kisembo, who had initially sought nomination as an independent after losing the primaries.
Dr. Rosemary Sseninde, NRM’s Director for Mobilization, explained that the problem stemmed from Mbabazi’s time studying in the United States.
‘He studied in America, and the documents from America indicated two names, Philip Mbabazi, but the deed poll that was published in the gazette showed the third name, Kyaligonza. This could not enable the Electoral Commission to proceed with nomination because there were still questions regarding the names, and the law requires clarity,’ she said.
Sseninde said the party respected the EC’s decision and urged supporters to rally behind Kisembo. ‘The party’s preferred candidate was unable to secure nomination because of challenges regarding his name on the papers he presented.’
The development has sparked debate among NRM supporters in Kikuube, many of whom expected Mbabazi to carry the flag after his primary win.
Political analysts say the case underscores the need for aspirants to harmonize academic and legal documents before seeking office.
With Mbabazi out, the by-election will now be a contest between NRM-backed Kisembo and NUP’s Timanyire. Campaigns are expected to begin following the conclusion of nominations Monday and Tuesday.