• Dr Hilderman alleges vote manipulation after losing Mawokota North to Amelia Kyambadde

• He cites arrests of agents, army raids, and confiscation of materials

• The MP says he will await NUP’s decision before taking legal action

The Member of Parliament for Mawokota North, Hon. Hilary Kiyaga, popularly known as Dr Hilderman, has spoken out for the first time after losing his parliamentary seat in the recently concluded presidential and parliamentary elections, alleging widespread electoral malpractice.

Dr Hilderman, who was seeking re-election on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, lost to NRM veteran Amelia Kyambadde, a former MP for the constituency. The Mazongoto singer claims the outcome announced by the Electoral Commission did not reflect the actual will of voters.

According to Dr Hilderman, preliminary tallies from polling stations indicated that he had secured about 25,000 votes, while Kyambadde had garnered roughly 10,000 votes, giving him a comfortable lead of nearly 8,000 votes. He says he was therefore shocked when the second-placed candidate was instead declared the winner.

 “What shocked me most is that after all the figures showed I was leading, the person who was second was announced the winner. That is when we knew something was wrong,” Dr Hilderman told journalists.

He cited several irregularities during the voting and tallying process, including the arrest of his polling agents, army raids on polling stations, and the confiscation of election materials, which he says significantly affected the credibility of the results.

Despite the allegations, Dr Hilderman says he is holding off on legal action as he waits for guidance from his party leadership. He noted that while he is ready to challenge the results in court, the final decision rests with NUP.

 “I am waiting for my party’s resolution. If they tell me to go to court, I will go. If they advise otherwise, I will follow their position,” he said.

Dr Hilderman added that he is even prepared to abandon the case entirely should the party deem it necessary in the broader political interest.

The legislator, who served in Parliament for five years, acknowledged that some voters had expressed dissatisfaction with his performance, though he maintained that electoral malpractice — not popularity — determined the final outcome. He further noted that he is not alone, revealing that several other NUP candidates have raised similar complaints following the elections.