Karma comes back to bite Jacob Omutuuze as he falls to NRM’s Namara in Bunamwaya lord councillor race 

• Seat Change: NRM’s Namara Betty defeated incumbent Jacob Omutuuze in Bunamwaya LC3 elections.

• History Revisited: Omutuuze’s 2021 independent win followed NUP’s refusal to give him the ticket and was later disputed in court.

• Rigging Claims: Supporters allege he was rigged out, while critics call the loss political payback.

Renowned media personality and Bunamwaya LC3 Councillor Jacob Omutuuze has lost his seat to NRM’s Namara Betty in the just-concluded local council elections, in a race already stirring debate among voters and political observers.

Omutuuze had been seeking to reclaim the position he first won in the 2021 elections under controversial circumstances while running as an independent candidate.

At the time, the National Unity Platform (NUP) had refused to grant him the party ticket, a decision that created friction between him and party structures. Despite the setback, Omutuuze went ahead to contest independently — and won — triggering clashes with NUP foot soldiers and a public fallout with party president Bobi Wine.

The 2021 outcome was fiercely disputed. Many opposition supporters maintained that NUP’s Ferdinand Bbale had actually won the race, with Haruna Kyobe reportedly second and Omutuuze third. Allegations of vote rigging circulated widely in Bunamwaya at the time.

Bbale, backed by the late Hon. Muhammad Ssegirinya, petitioned the court to challenge the results. However, the court ruled in Omutuuze’s favor, allowing him to retain the seat.

In the latest election, Omutuuze returned — this time with the official NUP ticket — and campaigned confidently, banking on party support and his media popularity.

However, the final results declared Namara Betty the winner, a decision that has since drawn mixed reactions. Some of Omutuuze’s supporters allege irregularities in the tallying and declaration process, arguing that he was “rigged out.” Others, however, say the loss reflects political karma tied to the controversy surrounding his earlier victory.

The Bunamwaya race now joins a growing list of local election contests where both ruling party and opposition supporters have traded accusations over election management and final results.