Kabano Apollo Kyabarongo, a former hopeful for the Rukungiri Municipality parliamentary seat, has publicly rejected the election results, announcing his intention to run as an independent candidate.
In an interview with our news reporter, Kyabarongo expressed gratitude to God for enabling a peaceful electoral process, noting that voters were able to participate without violence. However, he pointed out that the low voter turnout indicated a general disinterest in the elections, which he attributed to various irregularities.
“I want to thank the voters who supported me, even though the results did not reflect our hopes,” Kyabarongo stated. He praised his team of coordinators at the division, ward, and village levels for their effective support during the campaign.
Kyabarongo highlighted serious concerns regarding the electoral process, mentioning incidents of intimidation faced by voters and alleged bribery involving registrars. He emphasized that there were numerous unlawful practices that marred the integrity of the elections.
Kyabarongo accused the announced winner of lacking residence in the municipality and claimed that he secured victory through financial incentives and voter intimidation. He noted that the winner, Tumukunde, received 45% of the vote, while the remaining 55% was shared among other contestants, illustrating widespread dissatisfaction among voters.
In light of these issues, Kyabarongo has vowed to run as an independent candidate, asserting that the election was tainted by intimidation and bribery. He called upon National Chairperson President Yoweri Museveni to address the political inequalities in Rukungiri.
He also urged the President to permit other candidates to run independently, citing the irregularities within the National Resistance Movement party.
Kyabarongo encouraged the residents of Rukungiri Municipality, particularly his supporters, to remain steadfast, assuring them that he would contest in the next general elections, with his symbol being a ball, as he has traditionally used.
