The just-concluded National Resistance Movement (NRM) Youth League elections have taken a dramatic twist after losing candidate Brenda Kiconco filed a petition before the NRM Election Tribunal in Kyadondo, challenging the victory of Tanga Colline, son of the party’s Electoral Commission Chairperson, Dr. Tanga Odoi.
The hotly contested election, held on 26th August 2025 at Kololo Independence Grounds, saw Colline declared winner with 1,567 votes, while Kiconco was officially credited with fewer votes.
However, in her petition filed through Alto Advocates, Kiconco alleges that she actually secured the highest tally with 1,355 votes, compared to Colline’s 1,167, before the figures were falsified to award her rival an additional 400 votes.
In her affidavit, Kiconco accuses Dr. Odoi of running the process with “impunity and nepotism,” claiming he changed the register of delegates, smuggled in fake voters, and even allowed “goons and thugs” from Makerere University and surrounding Kampala areas to participate. She further asserts that police were used to intimidate her supporters who protested the irregularities.
The petition paints a chaotic picture of the Kololo poll, with voting allegedly stretching past midnight, lights deliberately switched off, and tension fueled by rowdy groups aligned to the 1st Respondent. Kiconco insists that despite polling the highest number of valid votes, she was denied victory through brazen manipulation of declaration forms.
In a striking revelation, the petitioner claims that she and her team immediately contacted President Yoweri Museveni, who reportedly instructed through the party Secretary General that the process be halted. The President is said to have advised that the matter be formally lodged with the Tribunal, given the glaring conflict of interest in Dr. Odoi presiding over an election in which his own son was a candidate.
Kiconco now prays that the Tribunal sets aside Colline’s victory and orders fresh elections, citing breach of electoral laws and violation of her right to a free and fair process. She has also submitted video and photographic evidence of the alleged malpractice.
The case has already stirred debate within NRM circles, with critics questioning the credibility of internal elections when the referee is accused of tilting the game for family. The Tribunal’s decision will be closely watched, as it could shape not only the Youth League’s leadership but also perceptions of fairness in NRM’s wider electoral processes.
