During a press conference held Monday at Bumasikye Sub-County headquarters, Joseph Shemanya, who had been expected to contest against Madali, rejected the results and demanded fresh elections. He questioned Madali’s eligibility and denounced the process as a sham.
Youth leaders in Bumasikye Sub-County, Mbale District, have rejected the outcome of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) sub-county youth elections, citing widespread irregularities and a lack of transparency. The elections, initially scheduled for Friday, were boycotted by youth leaders from various parishes, leading to a postponement until Sunday.
However, the boycott persisted, resulting in the unopposed declaration of Ivan Madali as sub-county youth chairperson. The protesting leaders accused Mbale District NRM Registrar Bonney Wamunga of manipulating the process by nominating Madali, whom they claimed was ineligible.
According to them, Madali was still serving as a parish registrar and had not contested at the parish level—a prerequisite for vying for the sub-county position. They also alleged that the voters' register had been tampered with, with genuine voters removed and replaced by forged entries—actions they said violated both the party constitution and electoral procedures.
During a press conference held Monday at Bumasikye Sub-County headquarters, Joseph Shemanya, who had been expected to contest against Madali, rejected the results and demanded fresh elections. He questioned Madali’s eligibility and denounced the process as a sham.
Other youth leaders, including George Brian Wamukota and Denis Wokuti, also threatened to petition the NRM district office, accusing party officials of accepting bribes and orchestrating a flawed election process that could divide the party and weaken its grassroots support.
However, district registrar Bonney Wamunga dismissed the allegations. He stated that Madali had submitted his resignation as parish registrar four days before the elections, making him eligible to contest. Wamunga also revealed that he had offered Shemanya another position within the party, which he declined. Wamunga attributed the fallout to interference from parliamentary aspirants with vested interests in the youth leadership elections.
Weswa Ronnie
Freelancer