Isaac Tumusiime Museveni, who had been handed the National Unity Platform (NUP) party ticket to contest for the Lwemiyaga County parliamentary seat in Sembabule District, failed to appear for nomination.
Tumusiime was expected at the Electoral Commission offices at the Sembabule District headquarters before the close of nominations on Thursday evening, but did not turn up.
He had earlier competed for the NUP ticket with two other aspirants, but the party’s Election Management Committee selected him as the most suitable candidate to represent them.
Gracious Aryaija, the Sembabule District Returning Officer, confirmed that Tumusiime was not among the aspirants nominated during the two-day exercise. He noted that Tumusiime did not return his expression of interest forms, and consequently, the Electoral Commission did not nominate any NUP candidate in Lwemiyaga County.
His absence leaves the race to four contenders: NRM’s Emmanuel Rwashande, Fred Ainebyona of the Democratic Front, incumbent MP Theodore Ssekikubo, and Joseph Migadde Amooti, both of whom were nominated as independents.
Aryaija revealed that a total of 32 individuals had picked expression of interest forms for the five parliamentary positions in Sembabule District, but only 26 returned them by the close of nominations on Thursday evening.
“We cannot account for anyone who fails to appear before us. We attended to all who came for nomination; no one was locked out,” he said. Moses Katumba, a NUP mobilizer in Sembabule Town Council, said they had gathered to escort Tumusiime for nomination, only for him to fail to show up.
“To our great disappointment, his known phone numbers were switched off, raising suspicion about his intentions,” Katumba said. Efforts to reach him were unsuccessful.
Tumusiime becomes the second NUP flagbearer to withdraw at the last minute in Sembabule. During the 2021 general elections, Zaituni Yahaya Babikola, who was the party’s candidate for the Woman MP seat, also disappeared on the nomination day, paving the way for NRM’s Mary Begimusa to run unopposed.
Meanwhile, in Mawogola North and Mawogola West constituencies, Democratic Front (DF) candidate Farouk Nsubuga and independent aspirant Fred Turyatemba Washabi failed to secure nomination after falling short of the required number of valid seconders.
According to Aryaija, both arrived at the nomination centre at the last minute with forms containing inconsistencies. “Even after we gave them additional time beyond the official 5 p.m. deadline, they could not present eligible seconders registered in their respective constituencies,” he explained.
However, Nsubuga accused the Electoral Commission of bias, alleging that the Returning Officer deliberately frustrated his nomination. He said he would consult his party leadership before deciding on his next course of action.
*****URN****