Politics
NRM Election Tribunal Begins Hearings for Disputed Primaries, 56 Cases Set for July 29
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Election Disputes Tribunal is set to begin hearings on 56 election petitions on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, marking the first phase of formal adjudication following contentious parliamentary primaries held earlier this month.
The Tribunal, chaired by seasoned city lawyer John Musiime, will preside over the cases at its offices on Plot 30, Kyadondo Road in Nakasero, Kampala. The hearings will run concurrently before eight different panels as the party seeks to address rising internal grievances in the aftermath of the July 17 primaries.
According to Musiime, the petitions form part of a larger wave of 381 formal complaints lodged by aggrieved NRM members across the country. The Tribunal was constituted on the same day the primaries were held, following President Yoweri Museveni’s appointment of Musiime and 28 other legal practitioners to independently handle disputes, distancing the process from the organizing body led by Dr. Tanga Odoi.
“Complaints must be handled by a neutral structure,” Museveni emphasized in his July 17 directive. “The Electoral Commission cannot be both referee and judge.”
In a public notice issued on Sunday, Musiime instructed petitioners to serve respondents with copies of the petitions. For respondents yet to receive them, the Tribunal encouraged direct access from the Registry. It also cautioned that the absence of a response from any party will not stall proceedings or decisions.
Among the high-profile disputes listed for Tuesday are:
- Oscar Nkotanyi vs Bruce Balaba in Rubanda West Constituency
- George Stephen Kagaba vs Alex Ruhunda in Fort Portal Central
- Lunyoro Aisha Sylvia vs Mukhaye Miriam Massa Wangisi in Mbale District
- Emorut Okumu John vs John Mulimba in Samia Bugwe North, Busia
- Mukesh Shuklah Babubhai vs Herbert Anderson Burora in Nakawa West
- Patricia Magara vs Kalume Ababubaker in Katikamu South, Luwero
- Beatrice Rwakimari vs Nkwasibwe Henry Zinkuratire in Ntungamo
- Sylvia Rwabwogo vs Linda Irene in Fort Portal City Woman MP race
- Joint Petition: Nebanda Florence & Agatha Sarah Muloki vs Logose Sarah Annet in Butaleja District
The Tribunal is also receiving complaints from constituencies in Apac Municipality, Napak, Oyam North, Agago West, Ngora, Wakiso, Bugweri, and Kisoro, among others. Notably, several of the petitioners are incumbent MPs who lost in the primaries and are now contesting what they claim were flawed processes.
Issues raised range from vote rigging, multiple voting, and voter intimidation to allegations of ineligible candidates and procedural anomalies during tallying.
At a press briefing last Friday, Tribunal Chairperson Musiime and NRM Legal Director Enoch Barata assured the public that all decisions would be rendered fairly, transparently, and by the set deadline of September 1, 2025.
“We are under strict timelines,” said Musiime. “Justice must not only be done but seen to be done, and we intend to handle each petition on merit.”
To manage the growing caseload and ensure efficiency, the Tribunal will continue hearing 56 cases daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parties are instructed to appear only at their scheduled times, and attendance per side is limited to five people due to space and parking constraints.
While the hearings promise to provide clarity on several hotly contested races, they also underscore the increasing intensity of internal competition within the ruling party as it prepares for the 2026 general elections.
How the Tribunal navigates this initial wave of disputes will be a litmus test not only for internal party democracy but also for public perception of fairness and rule of law within the NRM’s political machinery.
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