Africa-Press – Uganda. Tensions are rising within the National Resistance Movement (NRM) in Tororo District following disputed internal structure elections that have sparked accusations of electoral malpractice, mismanagement, and internal sabotage.
A section of aggrieved aspirants who lost in the recent polls is calling for a repeat of the elections, threatening to set up a parallel party office if their demands are not met.
The group accuses the district party leadership of orchestrating widespread irregularities, including the use of ghost voters, voter bribery, and exclusion of legitimate delegates from the electoral process.
Addressing a press conference, the affected group led by Obbo Oketch, Nicholas Ofwono, George Olowo, Brian Osuna, and Tefiro Ochieng, said the elections were marred by fraud and manipulation.
They claim that the party register was not followed and that non-NRM members participated in the voting exercise.
“The election was characterized by ghost voters,” said Obbo Oketch. “I was speechless when I saw the UPC district chairperson of Tororo, Mr. Ojwang Obbo, on the voters’ line. This was shameful.”
Nicholas Ofwono added. “What happened can’t qualify as an election. A contesting candidate was the one deciding who to vote. That’s not democracy.”
The group also cited excessive security deployment at polling venues, alleging that security agencies were used to intimidate and bar legitimate delegates from voting in favor of the incumbent, Apollo Yeri Ofwono, who has since been declared district chairperson-elect.
“They not only blocked credible voters but also violated people’s rights to vote,” George Olowo said.
“Seventy percent of the people who voted were not delegates. People were just jumping over the fence to vote!” added Brian Osuna.
The aggrieved members also accused the current leadership of misusing funds disbursed by the NRM secretariat for party mobilization activities. They claim that the party’s declining support in Tororo is partly due to the failure of the local leadership to conduct effective grassroots engagement.
“The President’s votes are dropping every election cycle,” lamented Tefiro Ochieng. “What job are you doing as chairperson? Is it just to sign for party resources?”
However, the newly elected chairperson, Apollo Yeri Ofwono, who also serves as Member of Parliament for Tororo Municipality, has dismissed the allegations as baseless blackmail aimed at undermining his leadership.
“If any finances are sent from the secretariat, they go to the office of administrator, not me,” Ofwono said. “Secondly, as an MP, I contribute to the party. Locally, we don’t even collect membership fees, so there’s no money to steal.”
Ofwono defended the elections, stating they were conducted under the supervision of designated party electoral officials, with all processes following the official party guidelines.
The recent NRM elections in Tororo were part of a nationwide restructuring effort aimed at revitalizing the ruling party’s grassroots structures. However, the elections in Tororo have been among the most contested, reflecting deeper divisions that have plagued the district for years.
The area already hosts two NRM offices an unusual scenario attributed to long-standing factionalism within the party’s local leadership.
With threats now emerging of a possible third parallel office, observers fear the growing discontent could weaken the NRM’s cohesion ahead of the 2026 general elections.
NRM’s district leadership is yet to issue an official statement on the fate of the disputed elections, even as the disgruntled members prepare to petition the party’s national secretariat for intervention.
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