A violent NRM election fight broke out during the NRM party parliamentary primary for Bugangaizi East Constituency. Mr. Onesmus Twinamatsiko, a candidate in the race, allegedly slapped Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja. The altercation happened last Thursday at the NRM offices in Kakumiro Town Council while officials were announcing the primary results.
Witnesses say tensions escalated when people questioned the accuracy of the results. PM Nabbanja, who had been informed about the “doctored results,” intervened during the announcement. One of her aides stated that a person punched the Prime Minister in the face, but she did not retaliate. Mr. Twinamatsiko, however, claimed that PM Nabbanja struck him first.
The situation quickly escalated. Security personnel from the Prime Minister’s detail intervened and reportedly beat Mr. Twinamatsiko, dragging him out of the tallying center. A video captured part of the incident, showing Mr. Twinamatsiko with his shirt torn and security officers involved. However, the video did not show the slap, leading to differing accounts.
PM Nabbanja’s team insists she was attacked and that security personnel acted to protect her. Mr. Twinamatsiko denied retaliating but said he sustained injuries from the incident. He also claimed the Prime Minister provoked him by interfering with the Bugangaizi East election results.
Despite the chaos, Mr. Twinamatsiko won the party primary with 19,762 votes, defeating Ms. Aisa Agaba, the current MP, who received 14,300 votes. The violent NRM election fight has raised concerns about political safety and election integrity in the region.
This altercation highlights growing political tensions within the NRM party, as rival factions fight for influence. Calls for better security and fair handling of election results have emerged.
