By Lazarus Apunyo
The just concluded National Resistance Movement (NRM) Mayoral primaries in Moroto Municipality, have sparked controversy with the winner and losers trading counter accusations of voter bribery and intimidation.
Yusuf Lomoko, the Moroto District NRM Election Returning Officer, declared incumbent Mayor Ismail Muhammad the winner of the hotly contested race on Thursday, July 24,2025.
According to the results, Ismail polled 1,357 votes against Ssire’s 1,067 votes.
Noah Ewaru, the former mayor, came third with 314 votes, while Emmanuel Risa trailed with 83 votes.
However, Mark Ssire, the second runner up has rejected the result, claiming that the election was not free and fair as it was marred by widespread fraud and irregularities.
While speaking to journalists on Thursday 24, 2025, after the declaration of the results, Ssire alleged that the election was manipulated through a combination of voter bribery intimidation, and systemic disenfranchisement of his supporters.
Though the campaigns ended on Tuesday July 22, 2025, Ssire claimed that Ismail continued campaigning and distributing money, and courts to the voters on the night of the elections, contrary to the party guidelines.
“My opponent, who had not been present on the ground, conducted night campaigns. I have evidence of him and his team distributing money to voters to entice them to vote for him. This is one reason why I don’t accept the election outcome,” said Ssire.
He explained that such irregularities cannot go unchecked by the party’s election tribunal set by the president to handle election related grievances.
Despite his strong criticism, Ssire reaffirmed his continued faith in the NRM’s internal justice mechanisms and vowed to challenge the outcome through formal channels.
“I trust the NRM party structures which guide us on what to do under such circumstances. This battle is not just about being mayoral flag bearer. This is about restoring the honor of the many people who took their time to vote,” he said.
He called on his supporters across not to lose hope, framing the upcoming petition as “merely the first half” of the struggle.
In his response Ismail Muhammad, refuted the accusation voter bribery labeled against him as baseless.
He stated that despite winning the election, his supporters and agents were intimidated by his opponents, however he did not specify who was responsible for the intimidation.
On the other hand, he decried the low voter turnout, calling for more voter education on the electoral process and change of the voting protocol.
Ismail reasoned that the elections should start with election of lower local government leaders followed by Members of Parliament and the President.
He explained that voters often overlook the election of lower local government leaders following presidential and parliamentary elections.
However, Yesuf Lomokol, the Moroto District Election Returning Officer, clarified that the election process was free and fair.
He advised the aggrieved contenders to channel their complaints to the party’s Electoral Commission for redress.
Ssire’s rejection of the results adds to a growing list of disputes emerging from the NRM’s ongoing primary elections, which have been fraught with allegations of bribery, violence, and electoral malpractice in several parts of the country.
Recently President Yoweri Museveni himself acknowledged the flaws in the primaries, criticizing incidents of intimidation, register tampering, and vote manipulation.
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