KAMPALA – Bobi Wine, the leader of the National Unity Platform (NUP), has issued a powerful statement following the Kisoro by-election, highlighting the struggles faced by the opposition and urging supporters to remain steadfast in their “fight against dictatorship.”
The Kisoro Woman MP by-election saw an unexpected victory for independent candidate Grace Akifeza Ngabirano, who defeated the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Rose Kabagyeni. Akifeza secured 50,459 votes, while Kabagyeni garnered 44,483 votes, and the NUP candidate Sultana Salim received 903 votes. This by-election was held after the passing of incumbent MP Sarah Mateke in September.
Akifeza initially ran for the NRM ticket but lost the primary election to Kabagyeni, citing irregularities. Her decision to run as an independent paid off, tapping into voter discontent with the NRM’s handling of the primary. This victory is a significant upset for the ruling party, which has faced criticism for its internal primary management.
The People Power Movement, born out of the Kyadondo East by-election, has faced relentless opposition from the regime, Wine noted.
“Despite initial successes in Bugiri, Arua, Jinja East, and Rukungiri, the regime has employed tactics to undermine the movement’s progress,” he said on social media.
Wine cited instances of election rigging, ballot stuffing, and intimidation in various by-elections, including Hoima, Kayunga, Soroti East, Omoro, Busongora South, Serere, Bukedea, Oyam, and Dokolo. He emphasized that these actions aim to downplay the opposition’s strength and create a narrative that their mass support doesn’t translate into votes.
In Kisoro, Wine alleged, the regime’s tactics included:
- Insufficient campaign time: “Candidates had only 11 days to campaign in a district with 24 sub-counties.”
- Low voter turnout reports: “Media outlets reported low turnout, yet the announced results showed inflated numbers for NRM-leaning candidates.”
- Polling agent intimidation: “Regime officials bribed or threatened agents to abandon their stations.”
However, Wine acknowledges that NUP needs to intensify mobilization efforts in Kisoro and other areas to effectively challenge the ruling NRM party.
“It is clear that even without the kind of rigging they engaged in, the independent candidate would still have won. (But what is true also is that the NUP candidate would have gotten many more votes than those allocated to her.) This is in part because in Kisoro (and Oyam) there was another dynamic of a protest vote against the official NRM candidates. The would-be opposition voters chose to unite behind candidates they considered having the best chance against the NRM.”
Wine commended NUP candidate Sultana Salim for her strong performance despite the challenging environment. He expressed gratitude to the people of Kisoro for their warm reception and acknowledged that the movement has made significant progress.
“Do not be discouraged, friends,” Wine urged. “The struggle against dictatorship and misrule will involve many challenges, but we will continue using all avenues, including elections, to awaken our people and push the message of freedom.”
With the general election approaching, Wine emphasized the importance of perseverance and unity. “Forward always – Backward Never. Aluta continua!” he concluded.
