The Electoral Commission has deferred the nomination of Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde Kakurugu, a former Minister of Security in President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s government.
Tumukunde arrived at Kyambogo University playground, where the exercise took place almost an hour before his nomination time. But after 25 minutes into the verification process, the process was halted over an anomaly in his documents.
Umaru Kiyimba, the Electoral Commission official in charge of verifying candidates’ papers, moved to the high table where the presiding officer and Chairman of the Commission Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi are seated with other commissioners and whispered something.
Byabakama then said they had to defer Tumukunde’s nomination because there is some discrepancy in his papers that need to be rectified. “The good thing is that you came in time, so you still have ample time; about one hour to sort out whatever is required,” Byabakama said without elaborating what he has to sort out.
However, he added that Tumukunde needed to go in person to the Commissioner of Oaths because whatever he had to sort out can’t be delegated to anybody. Tumukunde, accompanied to Kyambogo by his wife Stella, tweeted moments later that the anomaly is slight and will be sorted.
Also in his company were officials from his election taskforce Omar Kalinge Nyago, former East African Community Deputy Secretary-General Beatrice Kiraso, Nakitenda Sumayyah, Luganda Alex, Muzamil Ismail, and Byakutaaga Steven.
Tumukunde, seated in the waiting tent, is yet to comment on his nomination’s deferment.