Written By |
Mukundane, who lost to Jemimah Buhanda in the NRM primaries, had petitioned the EC challenging the Returning Officer’s refusal to nominate him and the subsequent declaration of Mrs. Buhanda as unopposed
Search
Sheema
The Electoral Commission (EC) has upheld the decision of the Returning Officer for Sheema District to reject the nomination of Mr. Edgar Mukundane for the position of District Chairperson (LC5) and to declare Mrs. Tumwijukye Jemimah Buhanda unopposed.
In a letter dated November 3, 2025, signed by the EC Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, the Commission confirmed that Mukundane failed to meet the legal nomination requirements under Section 123(3)(f) of the Local Governments Act, Cap 138.
Mukundane, who lost to Jemimah Buhanda in the NRM primaries, had petitioned the EC challenging the Returning Officer’s refusal to nominate him and the subsequent declaration of Mrs. Buhanda as unopposed. He submitted his nomination papers and supporters’ lists on September 4, 2025, and verification commenced the following day. However, according to the EC report, Mukundane secured the required minimum of 50 registered supporters from only nine electoral areas, instead of the ten required to meet the two-thirds threshold of Sheema District.
“You satisfied the required number of supporters from only nine out of ten electoral areas that form two-thirds of Sheema District,” the letter reads in part.
The Commission noted that even after being granted additional time to submit more supporters’ lists up to the evening of September 5, he still fell short of the required number.
The EC also considered two related complaints lodged by Mr. Lukyamuzzi Ali and Ms. Kebirungi Juliet, both members of the ruling NRM party.
In his complaint dated September 10, 2025, Lukyamuzzi alleged that the National Identification Numbers (NINs) of Mukundane’s proposer and seconder were incorrect.
However, Kebirungi Juliet and Muheereza Naboth later confirmed to the EC that they had indeed endorsed Mukundane’s nomination, contradicting earlier claims that their signatures had been forged.
Following re-verification of the supporters’ lists and review of submissions from all parties, the Commission concluded that Mukundane did not fulfil the legal requirements for nomination.
“The Commission found that you did not fulfil the requirements for nomination,” Justice Byabakama stated, adding that the decision of the Returning Officer was therefore upheld.
Torch Media Africa
