NEWS– The Kisoro District Electoral Commission Returning Officer Nayebare Daniel has officially declared Ms Akifeza Grace Ngabirano as the new elected District Woman Member of Parliament to replace the late Sarah Mateke Nyirabatshiki who died in August 2024.
Ms Akifeza Ngabirano defeated 5 other candidates in the race that was characterised with tension, since being an independent candidate, her win depended on the goodwill of voters after she lost in the National Resistance Movement primary elections.
The District Returning Officer, Nayebare Daniel said that having added the number of votes recorded on each declaration result form in accordance with section 72 of the Parliamentary Election Act (Cap 177), Ms Akifeza Grace Ngabirano got 50,459 votes defeating her closest rival Ms Kabagyeni Rose who got 44,982 votes from the total number of valid votes cast in the by-election held on 14th November 2024.
Nayebare also declared that Ms Zubedi Sultana Salim of National Unity Platform Party got 903 votes followed by Ms Ingabire Mable of Uganda Peoples Congress with 362 votes , Ms Musanase Juliet of Forum for Democratic Change with 193 votes and Ms Cyimpaye Aisha of Peoples Progressive Party trailed with 157 votes.
A total of 1,061 votes were declared as invalid after they were rejected during the counting while 249 votes were spoilt from the 322 polling stations across the district.
The elections were supervised by the Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Byabakama Mugyenyi Simon together with a team from the Electoral Commission Officers who ensured that the Polling Stations were well managed.
Earlier, Kigezi Regional Police Spokesman Elly Maate issued a statement indicating that the exercise went on well despite a few isolated cases giving a a case reported by Hon Phillemon Mateke who alleged that ballot pre- ticking and stuffing was detected at Busanani Polling Station in Busanza Subcounty where Bufumbira North Member of Parliament Hon Kamara John Ninzeyimana was intercepted with pre ticked votes.
Maate said that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi intervened and other unticked ballot papers were provided and the exercise resumed and the Presiding Officer was immediately dismissed and the Polling Assistant was appointed to take charge, as the Police mounted a manhunt for Hon Ninzeyimana.
It should be remembered that shortly after the NRM primaries, Hon Mateke who is the Party District Chairman and father to the late Minister Sarah Mateke, disclosed that the NRM Flag bearer, Ms Rose Kabagyeni was forced into the people of Kisoro District by top Party leaders and vowed to mobilise the voters to reject her in favor of the runners up Ms Akifeza Grace Ngabirano who has eventually won the seat.
