Africa-Press – Uganda. A heated contest between Karamoja Affairs Minister Florence Nambozo and a local rival brought elections in Sironko District to a halt on Friday, after violence and voter disputes disrupted the National Resistance Movement (NRM) sub-county structure polls.
Nambozo, who also serves as Woman MP for Sironko, faced unexpected resistance from James Kissa, the long-serving NRM chairperson for Bukiise Sub-county, in her quest to become General Secretary of Mutufu Town Council.
The tightly contested race ended prematurely after chaos broke out during the lining-up exercise, prompting electoral officials to suspend the vote.
Security forces, including police and the army, had been deployed heavily ahead of the election, given earlier tensions in the area.
Election managers sought to avoid fraud by reading out names from the voter register as individuals physically queued behind their chosen candidates in full view of the public.
However, what began as a tense but orderly process quickly descended into disorder when one of Nambozo’s supporters, reportedly not listed on the voters’ register, forced her way into the queue.
The commotion triggered outrage from Kissa’s camp and derailed the voting process altogether.
“This was a calculated move to delay the vote and give her time to mobilise more support,” supporters of Kissa alleged, accusing the minister’s team of orchestrating the chaos.
Minister Nambozo pushed back against the claims, blaming the confusion on election officials.
“We noticed some malpractice. It appears there were two different registers being used, and several of my supporters were denied a chance to vote,” she told.
The NRM electoral commission is expected to set a new date for the polls after conducting a review of the incident and putting in place safeguards to prevent similar disruptions.
The commission’s chairperson, Dr Tanga Odoi, condemned the disturbances and warned party aspirants against turning internal elections into battlegrounds.
“These elections are not a do-or-die affair, but some politicians are using them as a test of their popularity. We urge all contenders to respect the rules and allow peaceful conduct of the process,” said Tanga.
He added that, overall, the sub-county-level elections had proceeded smoothly, with only three known incidents of violence or tension reported — in Kamuli, Kiryandongo, and Kakumiro.
The Sironko episode underscores the growing intensity of internal party competition as grassroots leaders and national figures square off in what many see as a preview of future political battles.
Minister Nambozo is also expected to challenge long-serving District Chairperson Hajji Sulaiman Lumolo for the top district seat, setting up another high-stakes confrontation within the NRM fold.
For More News And Analysis About Uganda Follow Africa-Press
