Retired General Henry Tumukunde has secured the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s flag for Rukungiri Municipality, beating five rivals in a tightly contested primary race and positioning himself as the party’s front-runner ahead of Uganda’s 2026 general elections.
Announced just after dawn at 5:20 a.m., the results marked a significant political shift in the municipality. Tumukunde emerged victorious with 4,517 votes, accounting for 45.6% of the total valid ballots.
His win edged out the incumbent MP, Hon. Dr. Elisa Rutahirwa, who trailed behind with 2,843 votes (28.7%).
The official announcement came from Wright Mwongyera, the NRM District Elections Officer, who released the tally from the Rukungiri District Council Hall — the designated election hub.
Other aspirants in the race included Isaac Atukunda, who placed third with 1,658 votes (16.7%), followed by Andrew Ankunda Kikira with 736 votes (7.4%). Nathan Kamugisha Akandwanaho and Kabano Apolo rounded out the field with 101 votes (1.0%) and 49 votes (0.5%) respectively.
“The total number of valid votes cast was 9,905,” Mwongyera reported during the early morning announcement. He then formally handed over the declaration form to Tumukunde’s representative, George Owakukiroru, signaling the end of the party’s internal electoral process.
Tumukunde’s victory sets the stage for a high-stakes parliamentary race in 2026, especially as he prepares to challenge for the seat in a constituency long seen as a stronghold for NRM loyalists but increasingly dynamic in voter preference.
With the primary hurdle now cleared, attention shifts to how Tumukunde will consolidate his base and rally broader support across the municipality in the months leading to the national polls.
