By Our Reporter
SIRONKO
State Minister for Karamoja Affairs and Sironko District Woman MP, Hon. Florence Nambozo Mayoga, has broken her silence regarding the recently concluded NRM internal elections, which she described as unfair and marred by irregularities.
Hon. Nambozo, who contested against long-serving NRM district chairperson Lumolo Sulaiman Mafabi, alleged that the election process was manipulated in favor of the incumbent.
“The process was a win for my team, but the outcome was expected. We had raised several red flags,” she said. “As a candidate, I requested a copy of the voters’ register, but it was denied. I also demanded that a neutral team oversee the elections, but this was ignored. We had no confidence in the team that conducted the election.”
Speaking to this publication on Wednesday, 28th May, 2025, Namboozo further revealed that the voters’ register had been tampered with. “Many people who were not supposed to vote were given voting tags, and yet genuine voters were left out. Several petitions were submitted regarding these anomalies,” she added.
Nambozo acknowledged that Lumolo managed to mobilize the entire district and, for the first time, distributed money during the campaign. “This time, people did not vote for a portrait, they were under pressure,” she said.
She called on her supporters to remain calm and maintain peace. “Many came to insult and accuse me falsely, but that was expected. There are many lessons to learn from this sham of an election. It was more of a selection than a true democratic process. Regardless, I made my point, people got the chance to see who their leaders really are.”
She confirmed that her team has submitted a formal petition addressing all these concerns and is now awaiting a response. “We have strong grounds for demanding the intervention of the NRM Secretariat. We are calling for a fresh election supervised by an independent team,” she emphasized.
One of her key mobilizers, Gamwanga Rogers, alleged that people were ferried in from neighboring sub-counties and districts to vote. “Voting cards were distributed to sub-county chairpersons, while many eligible voters were left out,” he said.
Gamwanga warned that those who failed to support the chairman are likely to face retribution. “Now, party flags may be sold to the highest bidder,” he added.
Another supporter, Wokongola, said the election guidelines were clear—that no one was supposed to be at the tally center before 10 AM. “But in Sironko, some people spent the night inside the tally center. Nambozo’s supporters, including several LC3 chairpersons and their communities, were deliberately sidelined,” he explained.
Wokongola further claimed that many delegates who had been elected at the sub-county level were removed from the voters’ register. “For example, in Bumulisha, only four people received voting tags, and in Bumalimba, only six were allowed into the tally center.”
He concluded by saying, “Something must be done. This situation is not just affecting Team Nambozo, but the integrity of the entire party. It demands everyone’s attention.”
Despite her protest and claims of irregularities, Hon. Nambozo ultimately lost to Lumolo Sulaiman Mafabi.
