Drama ensued at the Wakiso District tally centre on Friday afternoon as the Electoral Commission declared National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Ian Kyeyune the winner of the hotly contested LCV Chairperson race.
Tension erupted moments after Returning Officer Tolbert Musinguzi announced Kyeyune as the victor, sparking an explosive protest from his closest challenger, National Unity Platform (NUP)’s Nasifu Najja.
Najja sprang from his seat, seized the microphone, and rejected the declaration, insisting that he had won the election by a margin of about 4,000 votes based on declaration forms collected from polling stations across the district.
In dramatic scenes captured on videos now circulating online, Najja accused the Electoral Commission and NRM operatives of orchestrating what he termed a “theft” of his victory through vote manipulation. His protest quickly escalated into a physical confrontation as security personnel intervened, triggering a scuffle that blocked the main entrance to the tally centre for more than 30 minutes.
Military and FFU officers eventually forcefully escorted Najja out of the venue. Outside, NUP supporters, who had overheard the commotion, burst into chants of party slogans and demanded his release.
Inside the hall, proceedings resumed almost immediately after his removal. Returning Officer Musinguzi formally declared Ian Kyeyune the duly elected Wakiso District Chairperson, prompting jubilant celebrations from NRM supporters. Kyeyune received congratulatory messages from the Wakiso Resident District Commissioner (RDC), former Busiro East parliamentary contender Hajji Abdul Kiyimba, and other senior party figures.
Kyeyune’s victory marks a remarkable political comeback. He first served as Wakiso’s inaugural Chairperson in 2000, when the district was carved out of Mpigi. However, he lost the seat in the 2011 general elections to Democratic Party (DP) candidate Matia Lwanga Bwanika, who went on to hold the office for three consecutive terms.
The years that followed were marked by repeated setbacks for Kyeyune, including crushing defeats in NRM primaries, most notably in 2020. His fortunes changed in July 2025 when he reclaimed the party flag after a fiercely contested primary process, a win he has now converted into electoral success at the district level.
According to official results declared after hours of tallying, Kyeyune secured 177,710 votes, representing 61.8 per cent of the valid votes cast. Najja followed with 99,235 votes (34.51 per cent). Najja currently serves as the Wakiso District Speaker. Also in the race was Flavia Nakafeero of the Democratic Front (DF), who made history as the first woman to contest for Wakiso District Chairperson. She garnered 10,597 votes, equivalent to 3.69 per cent of the total.
The declaration forms showed that 290,545 voters participated in the election, about 19.99 per cent of Wakiso’s estimated 1.45 million registered voters, underscoring persistently low turnout in local government elections.
However, a notable exception emerged in Entebbe Municipality, where voter participation surged unexpectedly. Several polling stations recorded over 400 voters, a sharp contrast to the broader district trend, according to figures read out by the returning officer in the early hours of Friday morning.
Speaking to the media shortly after his victory, Kyeyune struck a tone of renewal and resolve. He pledged to “reboot” Wakiso District, promising to build on past achievements and steer the district to “new heights” through improved service delivery and infrastructure development.
By Newsroom
23rd Jan 2026
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