Former Mitooma RDC to contest for Sheema North seat on FDC ticket
The former Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Mitooma, Mr Guma Nuwagaba. COURTESY PHOTO
What you need to know:
- The District Returning Officer, Ms Deborah Asiimwe, said she expects six people to be nominated for the seat.
SHEEMA. The former Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Mitooma, Mr Guma Nuwagaba, has defected from the ruling NRM party and joined FDC, citing unfairness in last Thursday’s primary election.
Mr Nuwagaba, 42, was on Tuesday nominated at 4.46pm to contest for Sheema North MP seat on the FDC ticket.
The seat fell vacant following Dr Elioda Tumwesigye’s election as the MP for the newly-created Sheema Municipality on July 27. Voting will take place on October 8.
Mr Nuwagaba resigned his RDC post in May to contest in NRM primary election. He lost the election held last Thursday to Ms Naome Kibaaju.
NRM primaries
Ms Kibaaju polled 10,747 (56.14 per cent) while Mr Guma garnered 6,290 votes (32.86 per cent).
Other candidates in the race were Mr Frank Owoyesigire (891 votes), Mr Arthur Mugisha (635 votes) and Mr Willis Muhereza (353 votes).
Mr Nuwagaba, however, alleged that there was harassment of his polling agents, and ballot stuffing. “Our people were beaten and chased away from polling stations by police, and ballot stuffing was all over. My agent in Kizimbi II in Kigarama Sub-county was arrested and released later after my intervention. My two agents in Kyangyenyi Sub-county were arrested and released in the night around 8pm,” Mr Nuwagaba told Daily Monitor after the election.
However, Mr Yorokam Katwiremu, the district NRM chairman, said the election was free and fair.
“After all the problems that happened in NRM primaries; my supporters were beaten and I was detained the whole night on the eve of the election,” Mr Nuwagaba said after being nominated yesterday.
Ms Kibaaju, a former employee of the Ministry of Defence, was also nominated yesterday.
FDC happy
The District Returning Officer, Ms Deborah Asiimwe, said she expects six people to be nominated for the seat.
The FDC said having Mr Nuwagaba is a big achievement. “We have made a hole in NRM. After the man has been harassed too much, he decided to join us,” Mr Stanley Katembeya, the FDC district chairman, said yesterday.
