ROAD TO 2026! MP Bataringaya Slams Mbarara NRM Registrar Over Harassment, Warns Against Electoral Violence

The race for the Kashari North parliamentary seat is intensifying, with incumbent Member of Parliament Basil Bataringaya Omwonyo condemning what he describes as harassment, political malice, and acts likely to incite electoral violence by some National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders in Mbarara District.

Bataringaya alleges that the hostility is being driven by sections of the district NRM leadership, including the Mbarara District NRM Registrar, Rodgers Mugisha, and some party flag bearers, whom he accuses of deliberately undermining his campaign as an NRM-leaning independent.

Tensions escalated recently at Munyonyi Primary School in Kagongi Sub-county, where Bataringaya was reportedly chased from an NRM meeting by district party officials. According to Bataringaya, Registrar Mugisha insisted that the meeting was exclusively for NRM leaders and flag bearers, forcefully ordering him to leave.

The incident sparked public outrage across Kashari North, with residents questioning the political discipline of the district NRM leadership. Many argued that Bataringaya, as a sitting MP and long-serving NRM cadre, should not have been subjected to such treatment, warning that such actions could fuel violence ahead of the elections.

Bataringaya further revealed that prior to the Kagongi incident, the Mbarara District NRM Chairperson had instructed him to step down from his position as Vice Chairperson of Rubindi Sub-county, a directive he rejected as unlawful. He claims the decision was politically motivated, alleging that the district chairman, Prosper Tuhaise Kururagire, is backing his political rival.

Addressing supporters on Thursday, 19th December 2025, during campaign rallies in Bwengure village, Kagongi Sub-county, Bataringaya called for peaceful elections and urged voters to reject violence.

“I preach peace in this election. There are people moving around dividing our communities. I urge the people of Kashari North not to allow violence to take root among us,” Bataringaya said.

He also accused his main rival, NRM flag bearer Patrick Musinguzi Akooki, and some party leaders of using verbal attacks and promoting disunity instead of focusing on service delivery.

“I urge my opponent to tell people what he has done and what he intends to do for Kashari North. Let us stop sowing seeds of hatred that may eventually breed violence,” he added.

On the Kagongi incident, Bataringaya said he was wrongfully chased without following proper party procedures.

“As a sitting MP, I had come to check what was going on in my area. They started chasing me before I even reached the meeting. I complied and left in the interest of peace, but I detested the manner in which it was done,” he said.

Drawing parallels with President Yoweri Museveni’s campaigns, Bataringaya questioned the authority of district officials to exclude independent candidates.

“We campaign with the President, and he has never said independents should leave his rallies. If the President cannot do that, who is this so-called district registrar?” he remarked.

He further accused the district NRM leadership of collective responsibility, saying their silence over the incident implied complicity.

Bataringaya lost the NRM parliamentary primaries to Patrick Musinguzi Akooki, but has since remained active on the ground, traversing the entire constituency to seek votes as an independent candidate. According to observations from recent campaign rallies, political analysts say momentum in Kashari North appears to be shifting in his favour.