Six nominated for Igara East by-election

BUSHENYI- The Igara County East 14th December by-election has attracted six candidates and dropped one according to the Bushenyi district returning officer, Mr Godfrey Mbabazi.
The nomination exercise that started on Wednesday and ended on Thursday saw five men and one woman fulfill the nuts and bolts to compete in a tight race.

They are Andrew Martial (NRM), Michael Mawanda Maranga (Independent), Bedads Kananura (Independent), Christine Ninsiima Bekunika (FDC), Benjamin Katana (Independent) and Armstrong David (Independent).
Mr. Joseph Musinguzi Nyanga of the Democratic Party picked the nomination forms but was not nominated by closing time on Thursday, Mr Godfrey Mbabazi told Daily Monitor.

When contacted towards the closing time, Mr. Musinguzi said that he was still waiting for funds from the party.
“I am still waiting for funds from the party because the whole of yesterday they were promising to send me nomination fee. Everything is ready. What is remaining is to get money from the bank but I don’t know if God will really help me,” Musinguzi said.
However, he had not yet shown up and was therefore not nominated By closing time.

The Igara East by-election comes as a result of the nullification of Mr Martial’s election as Igara East MP by court of Appeal earlier last month citing voter bribery and uttering of defamatory statements in the 2016 general elections.
According to Mr. Godfrey Mutabazi, the exercise was peaceful and the officials had less hustles in verifying the papers of the candidates.
Campaigns will take place between November 26 and December 12 and the polling date will be December 14, 2017.

Mr Martial of the NRM told Daily Monitor that he is ready to stage a final assault on his enemy so as to capture the seat again.
“I am very well prepared to stage a final assault on my enemy so that I can capture the seat again as MP, Igara East and I will not allow any propaganda to disrupt me as I have had before. We shall get into the field and campaign for the best,” said Mr. Martial

Mr. Benjamin Katana, an independent candidate in the race said that he is psychologically ready for the race saying he wants to bridge the gap that has existed between Igara East constituents and their leaders most especially, their Member of Parliament.
“I want to create a forum where the leaders and the led in Igara East can come together to solve their issues instead of having invisible leaders like it has been,” he said
Mr Mawanda had lost to Mr Martial in the 2015 NRM primaries, which saw Mr Mawanda contest as an independent candidate in the general election which he lost and decided to file a petition.
Mr Martial is one of the MPs who have openly opposed the removal of age limit for presidential election candidates from the constitution.