Justice Katureebe’s sons in brutal clash over MP seat

In western Uganda’s Bunyaruguru county, a political contest between two brothers has erupted into a public spectacle—one that lays bare the deeper rot inside Uganda’s democracy.

The feud between David Katureebe Tugume and Cadet Benjamin Butuuro, sons of former chief justice Bart Katureebe, isn’t just a family affair. It’s a mirror of a country increasingly shaped by electoral violence, patronage politics and institutional erosion.

When David filed a petition accusing his younger brother, Cadet Benjamin, of rigging the July 2025 National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries in Bunyaruguru county, it made headlines. But the story beneath the surface is far more unsettling.

BROTHERHOOD BROKEN

David, the elder Katureebe sibling, insists his actions are about justice, not jealousy.

“This is not about brotherhood,” he told reporters. “When you’re working for your nation, you leave brotherhood aside.”

He came third in the primaries, polling just 1,000 votes. Cadet Benjamin, a previous MP, won handily with 18,000, while the incumbent Twesigye John Ntamuhiira received 9,000. But David wasn’t convinced. He filed a petition with the NRM Election Disputes Tribunal, not to claim the seat for himself—but to have it awarded to Ntamuhiira.

His reasoning? “I believe I can contribute to economic development, but my brother can’t,” he said, dismissing Cadet’s previous term as ineffectual. Cadet fired back with equal candor.

“He returned from abroad when I had already taken over,” he said. “He should accept defeat. Even if elections were repeated, I would win again.” The emotional toll is evident. “I believe he’ll calm down,” Cadet added. “We can’t let politics divide our family.” But that may already be happening.

A FAMILY MEDIATION THAT FAILED

According to Cadet, the family—under the watchful eye of their father, Justice Katureebe—tried to resolve the conflict before the primaries.

“Our father wanted one of us to step down,” he said. “David refused, saying I was too young.”

When talks collapsed, the brothers agreed to compete. Cadet won. David protested. And now, the family name is entangled in a political and public mess that may not be easily resolved.

TRIBUNAL OR THEATRE?

David’s petition is one of 380 filed across Uganda following the July 17 NRM primaries. The party’s Election Disputes Tribunal has since scrambled to manage the deluge, establishing eight panels to hear cases within a compressed timeline.

Petitioners were given until July 26 to serve notices; hearings began July 29 and were expected to conclude by August 4. But many, including legal scholars, see the tribunal as more ceremonial than substantive.

“Even if the tribunal rules in someone’s favor, the real damage is done,” said Dr Mugisha, a political analyst.

“Ugandans are watching—and losing faith.” The Katureebe saga has drawn national interest, but it’s only one scene in a much larger drama. Across Uganda, reports of voter intimidation, vote-buying, and the militarisation of the electoral process are sounding alarm bells ahead of the 2026 general elections.

“When elections become theatre controlled by money and muscle, voters stop showing up—or worse, they start playing along,” warned constitutional lawyer Peter Walubiri. Walubiri, a longtime critic of Uganda’s electoral system, called the primaries a “preview of national collapse.”

“These aren’t elections. They’re armed contests,” he said. “Each cycle moves us further from the rule of law.” Human rights lawyer George Musisi echoed the concern, saying Uganda’s electoral failures are becoming normalized.

“The violence, the bribery, the militarization, it’s not new. It’s just bolder now,” he said. He pointed to the killing of a voter in Lwemiyaga by a member of the armed forces, an act that remains unpunished despite a visit from the Inspectorate General of Police.

“Having 300-plus election petitions isn’t a sign of democracy, it’s a sign of collapse,” Musisi added.

THE HUMAN COST

In Rakai, Asha Lubyayi still receives frantic calls from voters. “They saw the money. They saw strangers being bussed in,” she said.

“But they’re afraid to speak out. We can’t build a country on fear.” And it’s not just fear. It’s fatigue. Communities are fracturing. Public trust is eroding. Citizens, many poor, many powerless, are being dragged into political storms they didn’t ask for and can’t escape.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2026?

Uganda’s 2026 general election looms large. And if the primary process is any indication, the contest won’t be about manifestos or leadership, it will be about survival. Bob Kirenga, head of the National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, warns that Uganda’s political institutions lack the maturity to manage such high-stakes conflicts.

“Parties are personality cults. They have no internal accountability,” he said.

Even the NRM’s own structure, critics argue, has become indistinguishable from the state itself.

“If Museveni left the NRM today, would it survive?” Kirenga asked. “This isn’t a political party. It’s an extension of government machinery.”