Independent candidate Luyimbaazi Stephen has won the Kirindi Village LC1 chairperson re-election in Kayunga District, securing 247 votes in a fresh poll ordered after a court nullified the July 28, 2026 election over procedural irregularities.
Luyimbaazi defeated his closest rival, Bukenya Roggers of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), who received 211 votes, while Swaib Musana of the National Unity Platform (NUP) polled five votes.
The re-election was conducted on Thursday under heightened security, with residents turning up to elect their village chairperson following the dispute over the original poll.
The initial election was challenged by Luyimbaazi, who raised concerns about irregularities in the process. After the Electoral Commission advised him to seek legal redress, he petitioned the courts, prompting Kayunga Magistrates’ Court to order a fresh election after identifying procedural flaws.
Kirindi was subsequently included in the Electoral Commission’s schedule of repeat elections.
The exercise was supervised by Kayunga District Returning Officer Elizabeth Namirembe, who arrived at the polling station at 9 a.m. and took charge of the voting process.
Namirembe began by reading out the voters’ register. Verified voters were then issued special voting cards before being allowed into the designated polling area.
She briefed voters on the procedures and urged them to maintain order, follow the established queues and avoid unnecessary movement around the polling station.
Security was led by District Police Commander Hussein Mugarura as election officials conducted the exercise.
Voting and counting proceeded without reported incidents, paving the way for Namirembe to declare Luyimbaazi the winner with 247 votes.
After announcing the results, Namirembe thanked security personnel and residents for maintaining peace throughout the exercise. She also supervised the election of members of the LC1 executive committee before leaving the polling station.
In his acceptance remarks, Luyimbaazi thanked the Electoral Commission for conducting the repeat poll, saying the outcome had restored what he described as his earlier victory.
He called on residents to put aside their differences and unite as he prepares to lead the village.
The outcome follows weeks of uncertainty surrounding the original election, with the court-ordered rerun giving residents another opportunity to choose their local leader.
Some residents welcomed the conclusion of the dispute, crediting the court process and the Electoral Commission for providing another opportunity to determine the village leadership through the ballot.
The peaceful conduct of the re-election brought the contest to a close, with Luyimbaazi emerging as the preferred candidate in the fresh vote.
