Riding on the youth and women ticket

In the last two presidential campaigns, the only women who run in the race to State House were household names. They were familiar, and their names commanded headlines, and were whispered in the corridors of Parliament.
Last week, however, during the presidential nominations, we were introduced to Maureen Kyalya Waluube, 41, a former presidential advisor.

The only female contender is the daughter of a former member of Parliament (MP), Irene Florence Wekiya and Lt Stephen Kyalya Kanobe.

“I am standing for the poorest and most unrepresented in society,” she says. Before the interview, there is a heavy presence of police guards but not all of them are hers. She is meeting with fellow candidate, Elton John Mabirizi of The Independent Coalition (TIC), with the idea of forming a coalition.

“Basically, I have one issue. I am a Musoga and it all starts in Busoga. When I was a child, there was food in every home and all the children went to school and received quality education.”

With a humble voice, Walube says over the last seven years, she has tried to support her people to come out of poverty.

“I told them that one of us has to stand for presidency. We have never been at the front line in the decision-making of this country. It is painful to see how my people are struggling, yet the government is forcing on them programmes which are not appropriate to their needs.”

Since no Musoga offered himself or herself, she picked the nomination forms. It only became a women’s issue when by mid-September, no woman had picked the forms.

“I was in the UK doing my doctorate in Criminal Justice, at the time but I flew by and picked the forms. I felt it obscene that in 2015 a presidential election can go on without a female candidate, yet women have been part of the electoral process for 20 years.”

The presidential advisor
In 2011, the mother of three stood for the Jinja Woman MP seat on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket and lost. Later, as election results were still being contested in court, Walube switched sides and joined the National Resistance Movement, leaving the case hanging.

She was then appointed as presidential advisor for poverty alleviation in Busoga. Some saw her appointment as a kind of payment for crossing over from the opposition to the ruling party. She did not complete her term, though.
“I was not fired by His Excellency, the President. I had to go for further studies in the UK, and while I was there, my contract expired.”

The only woman in the race
Like the other candidate, Walube has her challenges. She is also aware that they will be used against her.
“Standing out as a woman can be a problem to some people. They think that if a woman stands out, then she is a prostitute; if she is a presidential advisor, then she is sleeping with the president; if she is running against President Museveni, then she is mad.”

The soft-spoken woman says she has already faced her challenges and if anyone tries to use them to bring her down, it will be like a drizzle that remains after a storm.

“That kind of inbuilt ideological confusion has to end. We have to appreciate that women have value.”
Walube is fighting for a woman’s right to own land and to improve the current laws on defilement and domestic violence. On the choice of her symbol, a pot, she says, “I am a mother and we prepare our meals in pots. It was the only pot that was on the list, and I am the only mother in the race.”

On how she will sway the women bloc vote, the transformation in Walube is spectacular. It is like she is suddenly in a conference hall giving a speech to the activist community of Uganda.
“I worship and respect them for what they are doing. I hope they will support my cause because not only is it mine as an individual, it also belongs to them.

She believes Uganda is ready for a female president, crediting strong women like Dr Specioza Kazibwe, former vice president, and Janet Kataaha Museveni, the First Lady.

The challenges
Walube is convinced that she has joined a race choreographed for the rich by the Electoral Commission (EC). Unfortunately, she is running for the poor.

“The worst thing a great person can do is to do nothing. Even if I won with 100 per cent, I am not expecting, Dr Kiggundu (EC Chairman, to announce my name as the president of Uganda. Already he has made a decision that this race is for the rich. The start off was discriminative and we have already been rigged out.”

The disproportion in the level of resources is evident in the fact that her car broke down and she had to travel in the bodyguard’s car. Because of the constraints, she plans to use the Internet and social media to communicate with her electorate.

“I will also use Skype at some rallies. I also plan to travel out of the country to seek for more funds to help me with logistics.”

Her platform
The candidate admits that her message to the youth is the same message her one time party chairman and former boss, now opponent, President Museveni, gave her so many years ago when she was still a youth.
“As youth, we were empowered then, not to look for jobs but to do anything and everything. We were not looking for respect in the community but to have something to eat.”

She appeals to the youth to take back the challenge as the leaders of tomorrow.
“They need to take the responsibility and fight to save their nation. They should become employers and use the resources that they have on hand, rather than look for jobs. ”

The author of Cry My Beloved Busoga; A Case for Busoga Development Authority believes in empowering a generation that is suffering from appalling unemployment to return to being a self-sustaining nation using the resources that we have.

Her agenda on healthcare is that everyone should have access to a hospital or health centre.
“There are hospitals but they are empty – no beds, no resources. You have to buy gloves for the nurse to use before she can touch you. Women have to buy a Mama Kit before they give birth. These are the most basic things that need to be in every hospital.”

During her campaigns, she also hopes to set the record straight on the rift between herself and Hon Rebecca Kadaga, the Speaker of Parliament.

“The problem has been ‘divide and rule’ from the top, which has caused this rift.”

Background
Walube studied at Iganga Secondary School and Nabisunsa Girls before joining Makerere University as a law student. She left for London in 2003 and completed her degree at London Guildhall. She also has an undergraduate in Public Service Management.

Before joining politics, Walube worked as an executive at Telkcom, a telecommunications company.

Former female presidential contenders

Betty Olive Kamya, 58
In the 2011 general elections, she stood on the party ticket of Uganda Federal Alliance (UFA), of which she is the founding president. The backbone of her campaign was to popularize federalism as a system of governance.
With a margin of 52,782 votes countrywide, Kamya managed to get 0.66 per cent of the vote.
Previously, in 2006 – 2011, Kamya was the MP for Rubaga North, under the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party.
In a bid to recapture her seat in Parliament, in the 2016 general elections, Kamya will contest for the Rubaga North MP seat again.

Miria Obote, 79
In 2006, the former first lady stood on the Uganda People’s Congress ticket. Previously, she had held no political position.

With 57,071 votes, she got 0.82 per cent of the vote, and since then she has gone out of the political limelight, choosing a quiet retirement.

Concerns in the Women’s Manifesto
In July 2015, women under The Women’s Democracy Group (WDG) launched a political document, the Women’s Manifesto.

WDG comprises Action for Development (ACFODE), Center for Women in Governance (CEWIGO), Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE), Women’s Democracy Network-Uganda Chapter (WDN-U) and Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET).

Among the issues raised, five major demands were agreed upon as critical in achieving gender equality and empowerment for women.

Women’s health. The health of a mother impacts not just family but the entire community. Her ability to access and receive necessary healthcare largely determines health outcomes for her children and entire family. The maternal mortality rates for Uganda has gone up from 435/1000 live births to 438/1000, and this is worrying for women and the nation-Millennium Development Goals (MDG).

Women’s land and property rights. Land relations are critical for women’s rights in Uganda. This is because of the centrality of land as a resource for the livelihoods of the majority of our population. Land is also an important source of food, water, fuel and medicinal plants. Those who control land and its resources also gain social and political power and authority.

Women and education. With free universal education (UPE and USE)many children have been able to remain in school. However, the gains registered by the government programmes and policies do not apply to the same extent with respect to children in rural areas due to constraints and negative attitudes among local community members who consider education of girls a waste of money.

Women’s economic empowerment. Poverty remains firmly entrenched in rural areas, which are home to 84 per cent of Ugandans, majority of who are women.

Women, politics and decision making. Women’s participation in politics and decision–making is not only advantageous for women themselves, but for the country as well, in terms of development and democracy in general.
Source: Women’s Manifesto

WHAT ARE KYALYA’S CHANCES? Interviews and photos by Zurah Karungi

Damali Birungi, Hair stylist.
Yes, because women will vote her. If she wins the election women will not be mistreated. Indecent dressing will be worked upon and she will fight for our rights.

Michael Aliganyira, Teacher
She can go through if her manifesto is clear. Being a woman will not stop her from wining. Women are honest in what they do, so we shall have an honest government. She will also encourage fellow women to come up.

Olive Kebirungi, Student.
No. The competition is too stiff. She is not known by people and has less support. If she goes through, she may not run the government as expected because she does not have any experience.

Margaret Tumusiime, Teacher.
She cannot go through because she is not popular. She needs three consecutive campaigns to be known. If she goes through, she can die of stress but if all goes well our voice as women will clearly be presented.

Immaculate Asiimwe, Student.
She cannot go through because she is not known. In case she goes through, there will be a crisis in the country because the male contestants will not accept defeat.

Pauline Mbabazi, Veterinary doctor
She will go through if all women come out to support her. Women are more than men so if we all vote, she can go through. Uganda will be the best place to be because women are the best leaders.