The Deputy Mayor of Kampala, Florence Namayanja, has been temporarily barred from standing for parliamentary office on the Democratic Party ticket.
On Thursday, Namayanja was elected unopposed as the DP candidate for the Bukoto East parliamentary race in Masaka. Now, Christopher Senfuma Mubiru, a DP member, says the vote was irregular. He says he was not given the opportunity to stand for the post and was denied any chance of election.
Senfuma petitioned the DP headquarters to resolve the matter.
In his letter, Senfuma accuses the DP organizing secretary for Bukoto East, Dick Lukyamuzi, of masterminding the fraud. He claims that Lukyamuzi denied him access to the DP register and refused to respond to repeated requests for more time to organize the polls.
Mathias Nsubuga, the DP Secretary General, agreed to cancel the election result and hold new polls.
In a letter to the party branch in Masaka district, Nsubuga says the evidence provided convinced him that the elections were unlawful. He blames the DP Returning Officer in Masaka, Agnes Mayanja, of refusing to cancel the elections, despite his advise against them.
The Deputy Mayor of Kampala says she has not received official communication that her election was cancelled. She insists, however, that the elections were lawful and blames Christopher Senfuma for failing to show up for nomination despite prior knowledge of the election date.
Senfuma says he still hopes to win the DP vote. He says if fresh elections are not held, he will stand for parliament as an independent.
The Bukoto East MP election will be a close affair. DP is hoping to win the seat from the NRM in order to increase its base in Masaka. The NRM, meanwhile, will chose between ICT State Minister, John Alintuma Nsambu, who is the incumbent MP, and new entrant, Kizito Nsubuga.
