Martin Ojara Mapenduzi was on Thursday evening declared the winner of the hotly contested Bardege-Layibi Division National Resistance Movement (NRM) party flag bearer after edging his closes rival Bosmic Joyce Otim in a tight contest.
The election results were announced by David Nyeko, the Election Officer for the NRM party at about 8:30 pm at the NRM party offices in Bardege-Layibi Division amidst heavy police and UPDF soldiers deployment.
Mapenuduzi who is the incumbent Bardege-Layibi Division legislator polled 4,102 votes (66.9 percent), defeating Otim, a musician turned politcian who garnered 1,900 votes (30.9 percent).
Other contestants in the Bardege-Layibi race were Denis Okello Oweka who got 56 votes (0.9 percent), while Robinson Oryema Ogeri polled 49 votes (0.7 percent) and, Pastor Robert Roy Ola, the 2021 NRM flag bearer who trailed with 24 votes (0.39) percent.
Speaking to Uganda Radio Network shortly after being declared the NRM flag bearer, Mapenduzi said he will work closely with the NRM party members within the city to ensure the party secure an 80 percent victory for the President in the 2026 general election.
Mapenduzi who crossed to the ruling NRM party early this year however expressed displeasure in the electoral process citing that several guidelines were broken by his opponents arguing some used opposition mercenaries to campaign against him.
Meanwhile in Pece-Laroo Division also in Gulu City, seasoned lawyer Tony Kitara emerged triumphant after being announced winner of party flag defeating his opponent Grace Atim. Kitara polled 4,717 votes while Atim garnered 1,460 votes.
For the Gulu City Woman Member of Parliament, Halima Joyce Reeni, the Gulu City Council Speaker was announced winner of the party flag defeating her closest rival Jolly Laker Andruvule Okot, and Concy Lagum. Halima garnered 5,801 votes (5.8 percent), Laker polled 5,434 votes (47 percent), and Lagum trailed with 182 votes (1.5 percent). Laker however contested the votes citing irregularities.
While election in Pece-Laroo Division was largely peaceful, the Bardege-Layibi division primaries was marred with pockets of violence. For instance, the police fired teargas to disperse hundreds of supporters of Bosmic Otim, mostly youth who were making a procession within the city center before the declaration of results.
Mapenduzi joined the NRM party early this year, after nearly a five-year stint as an independent legislator. Before the 2021 general election, Mapenduzi was a staunch Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party. He, however, faced stiff competition from Otim, who had been a mobilizer of the People Power Movement before crossing to the NRM party in April 2022.
Otim didn’t attend the declaration of results at the NRM tally center with his agents claiming irregularities in the election process. Efforts to reach Otim for comments were futile as his known phone number was unavailable by press time.
Zaitun Driwaru, the Commissioner NRM Electoral Commission who oversaw the primary election exercises in Acholi and Lango subregions however called on the NRM party members to unite despite the election outcome.
“When you go in for the election, you will always have a winner and you will always have a loser, because for every position we contest for there is only one position for win, while the rest will be for losers but you are not losers in the party,” said Driwaru.
She noted that those dissatisfied with the election outcome, are free to complain formally with evidence NRM secretariat citing that the complaints will be investigated.
Driwaru revealed that the NRM party, after the conclusion of all party primaries will organize a reconciliation programme for all members who contested in a bid to promote reconciliation and unity.
“Let the results of the election not divide us, let us walk in peace because NRM as a party is a peace loving party and it loves all its people and because of that, lets us have unity after the election,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the neighbouring Amuru District, results for the Kilak North NRM Parliamentary primary election are yet to be released.
The incumbent Kilak North Member of Parliament Anthony Akol who defected from the FDC party to the ruling NRM party early this year is seeking to hold the party flag ahead of the 2026 general elections. He is battling with Christopher Ojera, a former candidate in the 2021 Kilak North Parliamentary race and Kenneth Okot, the Atiak Town Council Chairperson.
Kenneth Tookuru, the Atiak Town Council NRM Presiding Officer told Uganda Radio Network in an interview that the results were delayed following protests over what other candidates suspected as irregularities in the election results.
Tookuru particularly noted that, results from Pabbo Sub-county were submitted late at about midnight adding that when the results were read out some of the candidates rejected its outcome.
Both the Amuru District NRM Registrar Walter Kidega and the NRM Chairperson Wilfred Odiya Baguma couldn’t be reached for comment by press time as their known mobile phone number were unavailable.