Ruling party youth leaders in Kabale district are protesting the declaration of Ezra Aryanyijuka as the party’s National Youth Council finance secretary.

Aryanyijuka was declared unopposed by the National Resistance Movement (NRM) district registrar Maurice Mugenga Keitaba during polls held on Tuesday at Kabale district council hall. The election is to enable the areas to have representation in the National Delegate’s Conference that will take place on January 24-25 at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole.

Aryanyijuka was contesting against Shallot Kemigisha, whose candidacy was invalidated when the registrar blocked youth league leaders from Kabale municipality from participating in the exercise. He said that the guidelines were indicating that the elections were meant for sub-county leagues and not municipalities. As a result, Aryanyijuka was declared unopposed.

The decision sparked fury among the youth leaders, who accused Keitaba of taking sides against Kemigisha, a known member of NRM in favour of Aryanyijuka, who holds a different position as an independent candidate.

Kemigisha, through her lawyers Beitwenda and Company Advocates issued an intention to sue the NRM Electoral Commission and Aryanyijuka for breaching the party constitution through declaring an independent candidate victor on a party seat.

Kemigisha argues that Aryanyijuka still serves as a finance secretary National Youth Council as an independent candidate and has never stepped down to join the NRM party. Kemigisha wants Aryanyijuka’s declaration annulled for a fresh election, lest she seeks legal redress.

Sheikh Kassim Kamugisha, the Kabale NRM Youth League chairperson says that Keitaba must revise his decision and conduct a fresh election in order not to demoralize the young generation from subscribing to the party. Keitaba says that he followed the right procedure to conduct the election and adds that Kemigisha, besides being omitted as part of the municipality delegates, was also not on the list of eligible voters.