Incumbent MP Sseggona fighting to break Busiro East one-term cycle

Wakiso.

For some constituencies, Members of Parliament run in the confident belief that their mandate will be renewed for as long as they are still relevant owing to their performance and popularity while in others, the MPs are tested and allowed to serve for at least two or more terms. But in this particular constituency, Busiro East in Wakiso District, the voters have historically given their MPs just one chance and their tenure is never renewed.

It is on record that since 1996, the constituency has had different MPs whose tenure ends after five years. Busiro East is among about 40 constituencies considered to be one-term constituencies as evidenced in Bukomansimbi, Kooki County, Rubaga North, Rwampara, Bubulo West, and Kiboga East, among others.

Between 1996 and 2001, the Bukoto East seat was occupied by Dr Timothy Mutesasira before it went to NRM’s Sitenda Sebalu who served between 2001 and 2006. The Forum for Democratic Change’s Susan Nakawuki, who is currently the East African Assembly legislator, took charge between 2005 and 2011.

It then slid to the Democratic Party’s Merdard Sseggona after Ms Nakawuki declared intentions of contesting for the Masaka Woman MP seat.

There are seven potential candidates lining up for the same constituency this time including Mr Sseggona, a lawyer who is running on the Democratic Party ticket against the closest challenger, FDC’s Emmanuel Matovu Magoola.

Magoola is a renowned businessman who, together with some of his supporters in the constituency, fronted Ms Nakawuki, his ex-wife, who was then fresh from the university to run in 2005.
This was after he learnt four days to the nominations that his name had mysteriously been scrapped off the voters’ register. She would go on to win.

Independent DP-leaning Charles Muyimba is trailing the two front men in the 2016 race. He had hoped to vie for the DP flag with Mr Sseggona during the party primaries only to be disappointed after he was advised by top officials that no primaries would be conducted since Sseggona’s candidature had been endorsed.

Mr Muyimba comes from a prominent political family. He is brother to former Mengo minister for youth and aspiring Member of Parliament for Kampala Central, Ms Nakiwala Kiyingi and the late Winnie Makumbi, who was Rubaga mayor.

Others in this contest are NRM candidate Mary Sendi, People’s Development Party candidate Patrick Zimula and independents Lawrence Kayondo and Margaret Nantongo.

Busiro East is a huge place with 180,083 registered voters populating its four sub-counties (Nsangi, Wakiso Mumyuka, Wakiso Town Council and Mende) and 28 parishes.

It is also a constituency to watch since it is where the King of Buganda’s coronation site and other Buganda cultural sites are located at Naggalabi, Budo.

So will the incumbent MP break the one- term jinx that has hexed his predecessors?

It is going to be a tough road for Sseggona according to some of the voters who accuse him of being “too busy” for constituency work.

While all his rivals acknowledge the fact that as the Opposition Shadow minster for Justice, he has been exemplary and appropriately vocal, they also point out that he failed to find time for the people.

“We need objective Opposition but the incumbent MP spends a lot of time hitting at President Museveni and not listening to his constituents. The problem is not Museveni per se. We as the Opposition must spend more time monitoring various national projects and whether they are reaching the intended beneficiaries.

Instead of abusing the President all the time, knock on the government doors for explanations on whether the money or projects put in place are benefitting the intended people. The President is the fountain of honour and focusing on him will not transform the lives of people in the constituency,” said Mr Muyimba.

But Mr Ronald Mugwanya of Buddo Nakiragala says Mr Sseggona is articulate, well informed and able to represent the issues of the constituency in Parliament.

Mr Sseggona has so far held a number of rallies, drawing a sizeable crowd and is very much in this fight.

Buganda loyalty
His loyalty for Buganda is unquestionable and this will play in his favour. The one shortcoming with this is that he has allegedly called his rivals non-Baganda, a statement which, if true, could hurt him at the polls since the constituency is cosmopolitan.

In the field of education, he has paid fees and given bursaries to students from poor backgrounds. He also provides pro bono legal services to his constituents who find themselves in court on land issues.

But just like some candidates who abandoned FDC presidential flag bearer, Dr Kizza Besigye, only to realise later that they had made a grave mistake, Mr Sseggona too ignored the hand that fed him when he allied with new Opposition candidate Amama Mbabazi. This was a miscalculation according to some critics.

The Democratic Party undertook to support Mr Mbabazi’s candidature after attempts by The Democratic Alliance coalition of the Opposition to field a joint presidential candidate collapsed.
For that reason, when Dr Besigye campaigned in Wakiso District recently, he stated categorically that FDC would only support its flag bearers.

In one of the rallies, he presented Mr Magoola as the FDC candidate for Busiro East, giving the FDC candidate more mileage over others.
Mr Mbabazi on the other hand insists he is still in NRM yet the Opposition where he now finds himself in is fighting hard to get the NRM leadership out of power. This contradiction is working against Mr Sseggona since his constituents do not understand what his political agenda is by supporting an NRM candidate.

“[Mbabazi] says he is still in the NRM party. This means that he is extending the Movement empire to the Opposition. Where does that leave the Opposition?” says Ssewava Sserubiri, former Mengo minister who is one of Mr Magoola’s campaign advisers.

The incumbent has told people at most of his rallies that Mr Mbabazi will return Buganda’s properties but observers say the former prime minister has been part of the NRM government for the last 30 years yet only a few of the kingdom’s properties have been returned.

Mr Sseggona is also on record telling voters that it was time to change a commander since Ugandans had failed to win the war and that Mr Mbabazi is now the best substitute.

Magoola’s card
Having fronted Ms Nakawuki, Mr Magoola’s name is not new in the constituency and he is a crowd puller.
Riding on a pro-people strategy, he has won the hearts of many with his plans to get the people of Busiro East out of poverty.
He also has had running projects in the constituency that have empowered the women and youth.

“Ugandans want change. Money has been swindled and nobody seems to care. [Some in] the Opposition itself get money from the government and this is escalating corruption since the Opposition cannot do its oversight role. We want leaders who are independent and can speak the language we understand. Magoola is trusted and can do this,” says his chief campaigner, Mr Vincent Kasozi.

So the fight is for this constituency which has a sizeable number of veterans who fought to bring President Museveni in power but feel disgruntled that they have not benefitted from his NRM programmes.

Each of the parishes registered groups thinking they would receive start-up capital but to-date nothing has come through.

About the other candidates
Mr Muyimba, a certified accountant, says he is pure DP but is sad that the party requested them not to contest against Mr Sseggona during primaries.

“Sseggona has also used the platform to always be antagonistic and fight wars with Kampala Lord Mayor Lukwago at the expense of the people who elected him.

The Constitution tells us to resign our [public sector] jobs and serve our people but he never did that and he is always busy with his law firm. He remained a lawyer and he has no offices where people can go to meet him,” said Mr Muyimba.

Mr Kayongo on the other hand, a director of St Jude Banda Primary School, says he has worked with the people of Busiro as a teacher for 17 years and has also introduced to them three NGOs that have been instrumental in empowering them through improved farming and helping teachers form Saccos.
And then Ms Nantongo says most of her rivals were not born in Busiro.
She emphasises the need to be available to the voters each time one is needed.

Ms Ssendi holds joint rallies with the other NRM candidates that include the Wakiso District Woman MP, Ms Rosemary Seninde and with this, she has managed to cut down on campaign costs.
She promises to act as a link between the people of Busiro and the government to ensure that they benefit from all the government programmes.

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