NRM candidate wins Mukono speaker race despite NUP council majority

A candidate from Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party was elected speaker of Mukono Municipal Council on Friday despite the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) holding a clear majority in the chamber, triggering accusations of betrayal and possible bribery among opposition supporters.

Out of 23 councillors in the municipality, NUP controls 17 seats while the NRM has six. However, NRM candidate Constantine Kanga won the speaker race with 13 votes against 11 for NUP’s Phibie Faith Babirye in a secret ballot presided over by Senior Magistrate Jacob Osiro of…