The Independent Electoral Commission (EC) has assured members of the opposition party, the National Unity Platform (NUP), that their candidate, Elias Luyimbazi Nalukolongo, who was declared the winner of the Kawempe by-election, will be sworn in soon.
A delegation from NUP, led by the party’s Secretary General, Lewis Rubongoya, along with the elected candidate, Elias Luyimbazi Nalukoola, and party lawyer, Counsel George Musisi, visited the EC headquarters on Monday to seek clarification on the delay in Nalukolongo’s swearing-in.
Following a closed-door meeting, EC Assistant Spokesperson Paul Bukenya informed the press that Nalukoola’s name had already been forwarded to the Uganda Printing and Publishing Corporation (UPPC) for gazetting.
He reassured NUP members that the process was still within the constitutional timeframe and urged them not to worry.
However, NUP Secretary General Rubongoya criticized the EC, accusing it of unfair treatment and a lack of independence, particularly towards opposition candidates.
He pointed out that winners of other by-elections are often sworn in promptly, questioning why Nalukolongo’s swearing-in was delayed, causing unnecessary distress to him and his supporters.
By Charles Katabalwa
24th Mar, 2025
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