The NRM Elections Disputes Tribunal has upheld the election of Ronald Kibuule as the party’s flag bearer for Mukono North Constituency, dismissing a petition that sought to overturn his overwhelming victory in the July 17, 2025 primaries.
In its ruling this week, the Tribunal dismissed Harriet Mutiibwa’s petition — in which she garnered only 233 votes compared to Kibuule’s 12,728 — citing a lack of credible evidence to substantiate allegations of electoral malpractice.
The petitioner had alleged early voting, underage participation, multiple voting, and voter bribery at several polling stations.
However, the Tribunal determined that these accusations were “generalized, unsupported by verifiable proof, and fell far short of the legal standard required to overturn an election.”
Kibuule’s legal team, led by counsel Innocent Ngoboka, successfully demonstrated that the election was conducted substantially in compliance with NRM electoral regulations, and that the results reflected the “genuine will of the electorate.”
The Tribunal emphasized that elections require substantial compliance rather than perfection, and that minor lapses — if any — did not affect the outcome in any meaningful way.
With a victory margin of 12,495 votes, the panel concluded there was no plausible path by which the alleged irregularities could have changed the result.
“The Petitioner failed to prove on a balance of probabilities that the irregularities occurred as alleged or that they substantially affected the result,” the ruling stated.
The petition was dismissed in its entirety, and Kibuule’s declaration as NRM flag bearer was reaffirmed.
Following the decision, Kibuule hailed the ruling as “a victory for the people of Mukono North,” pledging to focus on uniting party members ahead of the 2026 general elections.
“Our people spoke clearly and overwhelmingly on July 17,” he said. “We now turn our attention to service, development, and securing an even greater victory for NRM in the national polls.”
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