Magoola Breaks Ranks, Eyes Independent Path After Bugweri NRM Primary Dispute

Bugweri District Woman MP, Hon. Racheal Magoola, best known to many as Obangaina, has vowed to stand as an independent candidate in the 2026 general elections, following a heated fallout over the NRM primary results.

Magoola’s decision comes after the party’s electoral tribunal upheld the victory of Ms. Amina Mutesi Nalugoda in the recent primaries, a verdict she has rejected, accusing the tribunal of mishandling her petition.

According to Magoola, the ruling party’s internal polls were marred by serious irregularities ranging from voter intimidation to ballot manipulation.

“They didn’t have evidence from the ground but relied on a few papers, which anyone could twist. We know very well that vote rigging was rampant, someone could get 90 votes and they would reflect 900,” Magoola told reporters on Thursday.

She alleged that some declaration forms were tampered with in government offices and hinted at the involvement of certain state officials, though she stopped short of naming them.

Violence, she added, also tainted the process. In Butende, she said, one of her supporters lost an ear during clashes on polling day.

“The one who claims to have won got implausibly high numbers; 842 votes out of 842 registered voters in one village. We know this was stage-managed,” she said.

Magoola was equally critical of the NRM’s lining-up voting system, arguing that it left elderly citizens, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable voters exposed to intimidation by youth groups allied to her opponent.

While parting ways with the party ticket, Magoola stressed that she remains committed to NRM’s core beliefs. She will appear on the ballot with the Chair as her election symbol.

“You know very well that I am purely NRM. We were ashamed as a party over what happened. This is why I’m running independent.”