NUP’s Nalukoola Takes Kawempe North in By-Election

National Unity Platform’s Elias Nalukoola emerged the winner in the hotly contested Kawempe North MP by-election in Kampala.  Nalukoola polled 17,764 votes to beat his closest rival and NRM’s Faridah Nambi, who got 8,593 votes, during the results announced by the Electoral Commission at their tally center at Makerere University.  “Having added up the votes cast as recorded on each declaration form in accordance with section 72 of the Parliamentary Elections Act Cap 177, I declare Nalukoola, who has obtained the highest number of votes, to be the elected candidate for Kawempe North constituency,” the returning officer for Kampala district, Henry Makabayi, declared.  Speaking about the win for Nalukoola, the NUP Secretary-General revealed it was a bittersweet moment because of the violence meted out on journalists and other people during the election and campaign period.Nalukoola, in his speech, revealed it was not his win but for the people of Kawempe North and the struggling Ugandans.”This is not my victory, nor my party’s. It’s for the people of Kawempe and all Ugandans….We still have a long way to go,” Nalukoola said as he addressed the press after being declared.The by-election was held to replace the fallen Muhammad Segirinya, who passed on in January this year.