Tayebwa Rival: I was blocked from Ruhinda North MP Nominations

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Tayebwa Rival: I Was Blocked from Ruhinda North MP Nominations

chimpreports.com

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Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa will once again return to Parliament unopposed after his rival, Osbert Kato, was blocked from being nominated to contest for the Ruhinda North Constituency seat in the 2026 General Elections.

Kato, who was aspiring on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, was scheduled for nomination on Thursday — the final day of the exercise — at 10 a.m., according to the Electoral Commission’s schedule. However, his attempt to formalize his candidacy ended in controversy and frustration.

“I went to the nomination venue with my forms and supporters. After submitting my papers, I was asked to step out. Later, they called me back in and returned my academic documents, saying they only needed forms with National Identification Numbers (NINs),” Kato sa

He alleged that officials began “scrutinizing” the NIN numbers of his seconding supporters until 1 p.m., when they broke off for lunch. During the break, Deputy Speaker Tayebwa reportedly arrived and was swiftly nominated.

“Deputy Speaker Tayebwa was nominated during the lunch break, even though I was supposed to be first,” Kato said. “When officials returned at 3 p.m., I was called in at 4 p.m. but not allowed to enter with my nominator or seconders.”

Kato further claims that upon entering the room, he was told his NIN number was invalid — despite having used it to generate a Payment Registration Number (PRN) to pay his nomination fees. When he challenged the officials, he says they changed their reasoning.

According to Kato, the Electoral Commission officials later altered the NIN numbers of three of his supporters on his forms, declaring them invalid. “One of them was my younger brother who had just received his National ID. It became clear they were trying to block me,” he alleged.

After submitting alternative NINs from supporters waiting outside, Kato says he was told to fill new nomination forms and travel to Kampala for stamping by the NUP Secretary General.

Reader mode

Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa will once again return to Parliament unopposed after his rival, Osbert Kato, was blocked from being nominated to contest for the Ruhinda North Constituency seat in the 2026 General Elections.

Kato, who was aspiring on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, was scheduled for nomination on Thursday — the final day of the exercise — at 10 a.m., according to the Electoral Commission’s schedule. However, his attempt to formalize his candidacy ended in controversy and frustration.

“I went to the nomination venue with my forms and supporters. After submitting my papers, I was asked to step out. Later, they called me back in and returned my academic documents, saying they only needed forms with National Identification Numbers (NINs),” Kato sa

He alleged that officials began “scrutinizing” the NIN numbers of his seconding supporters until 1 p.m., when they broke off for lunch. During the break, Deputy Speaker Tayebwa reportedly arrived and was swiftly nominated.

“Deputy Speaker Tayebwa was nominated during the lunch break, even though I was supposed to be first,” Kato said. “When officials returned at 3 p.m., I was called in at 4 p.m. but not allowed to enter with my nominator or seconders.”

Kato further claims that upon entering the room, he was told his NIN number was invalid — despite having used it to generate a Payment Registration Number (PRN) to pay his nomination fees. When he challenged the officials, he says they changed their reasoning.

According to Kato, the Electoral Commission officials later altered the NIN numbers of three of his supporters on his forms, declaring them invalid. “One of them was my younger brother who had just received his National ID. It became clear they were trying to block me,” he alleged.

After submitting alternative NINs from supporters waiting outside, Kato says he was told to fill new nomination forms and travel to Kampala for stamping by the NUP Secretary General.

When he requested his original nomination documents for use as court evidence, officials reportedly refused to release them. A NUP lawyer advised him to request a written explanation for his rejection, which stated that he lacked academic documents, had wrong NINs, and failed to provide payment proof.

Kato claims that when the NUP Mitooma District Chairperson tried to record evidence of the incident, security personnel confiscated his phone and deleted all footage.

NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, alias Bobi Wine, condemned the incident, calling it “a shame and a deliberate act of political suppression.”

Tayebwa’s unopposed nomination mirrors that of Speaker Anita Among, whose rivals were either disqualified, arrested, or allegedly intimidated ahead of the nomination exercise.

The developments effectively secure both Tayebwa and Among’s return to Parliament — cementing their political dominance in their respective constituencies and raising fresh questions about fairness in Uganda’s 2026 electoral process.