KAMPALA – The sudden transfer of a returning officer at the center of a past electoral controversy has sent shockwaves through opposition circles in Uganda’s capital and its surrounding districts.
Ms. Jennifer Kyobutungi, the former Returning Officer for Kayunga District, has been reassigned to oversee the critical electoral areas of Kampala and Wakiso for the upcoming 2026 general elections. The move has been met with immediate panic and accusations of a political ploy by the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Kyobutungi is infamously remembered for her role in the controversial Kayunga District Woman MP by-election of 2021. Despite provisional results from the District Tally Centre indicating a clear victory for the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate, Harriet Nakwede, Kyobutungi declared NRM’s Andrew Muwonge the winner. The incident, which opposition leaders labelled a “daylight robbery,” cemented her reputation as a controversial figure in Uganda’s electoral process.
Her new posting places her in charge of announcing winners in the country’s most politically volatile and opposition-rich regions. This has intensified fears that the transfer is a strategic move designed to secure victory for NRM candidates in key parliamentary constituencies.
Political analysts point to several high-stakes races where her influence could be decisive:
· Kawempe North: A rematch is expected between the current NUP MP, Muhammad Nsereko, and NRM’s Hajjat Faridah Nambi, who is a daughter to a top NRM official.
· Kampala Central: The race is set to feature NUP’s Secretary General, Lewis Rubongoya, against the NRM’s Minister for Kampala, Hajjat Minsa Kabanda.
· Makindye East: Another heated contest between NRM’s Salim Uhuru and a NUP candidate.
“This is not a routine transfer; it is a tactical deployment,” a source within the opposition camp stated on condition of anonymity. “Placing an officer with a proven record of overturning results in these specific constituencies can only be interpreted as a move to manipulate the outcome in favour of the ruling party.”
The transfer has raised serious questions about the independence of the electoral commission and has cast a long shadow over the credibility of the 2026 polls before they have even begun. Many are now watching to see if the Electoral Commission will address these widespread concerns or allow the controversy to deepen ahead of the election.
