Independent Candidate Akifeza Wins Kisoro Woman MP By-Election

Independent candidate Grace Akifeza Ngabirano has won the Kisoro Woman MP by-election in an unexpected victory over Rose Kabagyeni, the candidate for Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

Official results show that Akifeza garnered 50,459 votes, outpacing Kabagyeni’s 44,483. The outcome represents a notable setback for the NRM, which has dominated Ugandan politics for decades.

This by-election followed the death of incumbent MP Sarah Mateke in September. Initially vying for the NRM nomination, Akifeza lost to Kabagyeni in the party’s primary, alleging irregularities.

Refusing to accept the primary results, she chose to run independently, capitalizing on widespread voter dissatisfaction with the NRM’s primary process.