NEWS- The National Resistance Movement Electoral Commission Chairman Dr Tanga Odoi has declared Ms Kabagyeni Rose as the winner of the hotly contested party primaries in Kisoro District.
Ms Kabagyeni got a total of 39,941 votes representing 47.7% of the total votes defeating her closet rival Akifeza Grace Ngabirano who garnered 39,197 votes representing 46.8% of the total votes.
Dr Tanga Odoi said that 8 candidates had contested in the NRM primaries to fill the vacant position of Kisoro District Woman Member of Parliament which fell vacant following the death of the late Minister of State for Defence and Veteran Affairs Hon Sarah Mateke Nyirabashitsi in August.
Initially, there were 13 candidates who had been nominated to contest for the NRM primaries but some of them dropped off the race after a meeting with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni at State House Entebbe who urged them for cohesion in the party and later met with party leadership at the party Headquarters in Kampala.
Eight candidates who remained in the race include Akifeza Grace Ngabirano, Igiraneza Winfred Faith, Irankunda Jemimah, Kabagyeni Rose, Kitentera Blessed, Muhirwe Irene, Mbonye Hellen and Nirere Fancy Brenda.
According to the results declared and released by Dr Tanga Odoi, Kabagyeni scored the highest of votes at 39,941 followed by Akifeza Grace Ngabirano with 39,197 and Muhirwe Irene who got 1,729.
Other candidates who included Nirere Irene Brenda got 1,593, Igiraneza Winfred Faith got 510 votes, Irankunda Jemimah got 363 votes, Kitentera Blessed got 248 votes and Mbonye Hellen trailed with 111 votes.
Speaking to journalists after the results announcement, Kabagyeni thanked her supporters who turned to vote for her and appealed to those who never supported her to join her and make a strong team to defeat the opposition in the bye election on 14th November when she faces off other candidates from the political parties.
When contacted, the runners up Ms Akifeza Ngabirano said that she was yet to consult her team to make a next decision since the elections by lining up did not guarantee fairness.
