Museveni Reveals How He Personally Flipped Masaka MP Election After Alleged Vote Rigging

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Wednesday publicly recounted his personal role in the contested Masaka City Woman Member of Parliament election, revealing how his intervention set in motion a vote recount that ultimately overturned the initial result in favor of National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate Justine Nameere.

Addressing party members at the opening of the NRM Caucus Retreat at the National Leadership Institute Kyankwanzi, Museveni introduced Nameere to delegates, portraying her as a resilient anti-corruption advocate who endured significant personal risk during the electoral process.

“Our granddaughter Namere, I want to introduce you to that young girl, who was a very young girl when I went to Masaka. She was small. Now she has grown and been a fighter in Masaka. They almost killed her. You know, when you are honest. That’s why they want to kill her,” Museveni said.

The President recounted a dramatic encounter at his country residence in Rwakitura, where Nameere reportedly confronted him, demanding redress over what she claimed were irregularities in the vote tallying process.

“She invaded me at Rwakitura. She came to kill me. So I said, please, don’t kill me,” Museveni said in a lighthearted remark that drew laughter from the audience, before turning to the substance of her claims.

Museveni, who has frequently emphasized the need for verifiable evidence in electoral disputes, said he pressed for proof before taking action.

“I’m not somebody who believes in stories, so I said what proof do you have on the cheating of your votes? They gave me some contacts which I took and they confirmed their story how they were changing the results by announcing different people. You can imagine that and government people were involved including police,” he revealed.

According to Museveni, the information he received pointed to alleged interference by officials involved in the management of the election, prompting immediate administrative measures.

“So I moved in and removed the police commander there and also talked to the Electoral Commission. The EC removed the returning officer. That’s how they had a recount,” he explained.

Initial results announced by the Electoral Commission of Uganda following the January 15, 2026 polls had declared National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Rose Nalubowa the winner with approximately 25,443 votes, ahead of Nameere’s 20,324.

However, a subsequent court-ordered recount supervised by Masaka Chief Magistrate Albert Asiimwe reversed the outcome. Nameere was declared the winner with 25,502 votes, while Nalubowa’s tally was revised to 23,176. Several ballot boxes were excluded from the final count due to suspected tampering and inconsistencies in Declaration of Results forms, according to officials involved in the process.

The episode has drawn mixed reactions across Uganda’s political landscape, with opposition figures questioning the circumstances surrounding the intervention and recount, while NRM officials have framed it as evidence of the President’s commitment to electoral integrity.

For Museveni, the account served a broader political message. He used the incident to underscore the importance of honesty in public service and to rally support for emerging leaders within the party ranks.

Nameere, who has spoken out against corruption and claims to have faced threats linked to her activism, now takes her seat in Uganda’s 12th Parliament as Masaka City Woman MP under the NRM banner.

The President’s remarks, delivered in a mix of humor and reflection, highlighted both the contentious nature of electoral politics and the internal dynamics shaping the ruling party’s narrative ahead of a new parliamentary term.