In the recent NRM primary elections of Budiope west constituency, the Minister for Presidency Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda emerged as the winner in the race of 6 competitors with 99,832 votes at a percentage of 80.2%, Hon. Ibrahim Kyoto with 9,995 votes at a percentage of 08.0%, Mutagaya Dennis with 12,940 votes at a percentage of 10.3%, Mukisa Edward with 471 votes at a percentage of 0.3%, Mbazira Fred with 548 votes with a percentage of 0.4% and Tibatesa George William with 666 votes at a percentage of 0.5%.
Budiope West constituency has around 166,972 registered NRM voters, 8 sub-counties, 38 parishes and 277 villages/polling stations.
PT 045/2025 was Mutagaya Dennis Vs. Minister Babirye Milly Babalanda, where the petitioner alleged that he is the true winner of the ticket for Budiope West. On providing his evidence to the tribunal to prove the point, he provided only 25 declaration forms (DR) from Buyende Town Council out of the 32 villages in the town council and out of the 277 villages in the whole constituency.
This confused the panel of the tribunal, and they asked the petitioner whether he contested for the post of Budiope West constituency or mayor for Buyende Town Council because his area of interest was only in one area of Buyende Town Council.
Even the presented DR forms were altered and did not match those of NRM EC, and were not authentic.
Mutagaya also provided the final result DR form for the woman Member of Parliament, bearing Budiope West constituency results, to the NRM tribunal as evidence. This was also queried by the tribunal whether the petitioner, Mutagaya Dennis, contested for the Budiope West Constituency or the Woman of Parliament for Buyende District.
This hearing left the tribunal with a number of doubts about Mutagaya Dennis on July 30, 2025.
PT 289/2025 on July 31st, 2025, was Ibrahim Kyoto Vs Minister Babirye Milly Babalanda that recently concluded NRM elections for the post of Member of Parliament for Budiope West constituency should be cancelled on grounds of allegations that, Bukungu Town Council, Buyanja Sub-county, Kidera Town Council, Kidera Sub-county, 6 villages in Buyende Town council and & villages in Nkondo Sub-county did not vote on the polling day. There were several RDCs in the area on the polling day.
When the NRM tribunal asked the petitioner Kyoto Ibrahim to list down the areas where voting took place, he failed to answer, the petitioner was also asked to tell the tribunal how many votes did he get in areas where voting took place, he failed to answer, the petitioner was also asked tell the tribunal how many votes did he get at his home polling station, he could not answer.
The petitioner, Kyoto Ibrahim, later confirmed to the tribunal that the alleged RDCs (Rtd. Maj. Betty Akello Otekati, Mubito John Bosco, Prossy Mwanjuzi, Emma Kabenge, Naikoli Mathias) were voters of Budiope West Constituency who had come to vote, and some of them were in their line of service.
The petitioner, Kyoto Ibrahim, later told the panel and press that there was voting in Kidera T/C and Kidera S/C and alleged that Mutagaya Dennis was the winner in those areas, and he was the second runner-up.
The petitioner, Kyoto Ibrahim, did not provide a single DR form to the tribunal to show he scored during the voting exercise.
In conclusion, the petitioners did not provide any reliable evidence to the NRM tribunal to defend their allegations against Minister Babirye Milly Babalanda.
Minister Babalanda assured the people of Budiope West constituency that victory belongs to her after her defense submission, together with her lawyers and petitioners’ failure to convince the NRM tribunal panel, as they alleged.
The hearing of the two was done, waiting for the ruling after 7 days.
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