Mpigi NRM leaders, candidate trade blame as candidate is declared unopposed

MPIGI - Amid controversy and confusion, Mansoor Muluya was on July 24, 2025, declared unopposed as the NRM party flag bearer for the Mpigi LC5 seat ahead of next year's general election. 

Mpigi district National Resistance Movement registrar Henry Buye announced Muluya winner after hours of trading blame and confusion between party supporters and leaders.

This was after two candidates, Cyrus Baker Ssempijja and David Kyeyune, who were contesting for the position of LC5 flag-bearer during a party district executive meeting, announced their withdrawal from the race.

This left the race to Farouk Lubega and Mansoor Muluya. 

On Wednesday night,  just hours before the voting day, another candidate, Farouk Lubega, announced he had withdrawn from the race, which meant that only Mansoor Muluya was left in the race.

But in a twist of events, David Kyeyune came out and announced he had cancelled his withdrawal and asked the party leaders in the district to allow him to contest, which drew mixed reactions from party leaders.

After the voting exercise,  it was clear Kyeyune, who first announced his withdrawal from the race, had beaten Muluya, with Kyeyune having 14,236 votes against Muluya's 6,548 votes, according to the results released by Buye.

Mpigi district NRM chairperson Sulaiman Kaweesi contested the results, saying the registrar should just announce Muluya,  who was the only person left in the race following the withdrawal of his other three opponents. 

He was joined by other members of the district executive committee and party adviser Peter Clever Mutuluuza, also former Mawokota North MP and district chairperson,  who all wanted Muluya declared unopposed. 

Buye had earlier hinted at the external forces that had forced Kyeyune back into the race and were making his work difficult. 

"I have been receiving many calls to allow Kyeyune to contest; some are intimidating calls. He is the one who wrote his letter and accepted money from his opponent to give way for him. Why are they again intimidating me?" A furious Buye said minutes before he announced the results.

Petition in the pipeline

Shortly after Muluya was declared unopposed, Kyeyune, who remained seated and silent, told New Vision Online he rejected the declaration and was planning to petition the party's national electoral commission. 

"I know I've won this election, as you have all seen, but I'm being sidelined by the district party chairperson, who has been fighting me since I announced my candidacy," Kyeyune said.

Kyeyune,  however, admitted to having first withdrawn from the race.

When asked about allegations that he had been given money by some party leaders to withdraw from the race,  he said he did not receive any money from any party member to withdraw from the race.

"I had withdrawn from the race, and it was a decision I reached for the good of our party and building unity, but very many of my supporters reached me and asked me to change my decision ", Kyeyune added.

Buye also declared 15 directly elected councillors unopposed. Voting was only in Muduuma sub-county for the position of female councillor between Lunkuse Sylvia and Hadija Nakayiza. Nakayiza emerged as the winner after getting 1,112 votes against Lunkese's 900 votes.