43 Independent MPs join parties

At least 43 Members of Parliament who have been serving on Independent tickets have crossed to political parties to seek their flags ahead of the 2021 General Election, Daily Monitor can reveal.

The 10th Parliament, with a total number of 445 directly-elected MPs, has been having 66 Independent legislators, 293 on National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, 36 on Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket, Democratic Party (DP) has 15, whereas Six come from Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC).

There are also 10 MPs representing the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), who constitutionally are not allowed to be leaning to any political party.

Of the 43 MPs who have joined political parties to compete in primary elections, 35 have gone to the ruling NRM, five have joined the National Unity Platform (NUP), whereas FDC and Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) have received one each.

Among the five who have joined NUP include Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, who is now a presidential candidate for the party that has merged with his People Power pressure group.

Others who have crossed
Other independent MPs who have joined Bobi Wine in NUP are Mr Moses Kasibante (Rubaga North), Mr Francis Zaake (Mityana Municipality), Mr Abdulatif Sebaggala (Kawempe North) and Mr David Kalwanga Lukyamuzi (Busujju).

Ntungamo Municipality MP Gerald Karuhanga is the only Independent MP to have joined the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT). Female National Youth MP Anna Adeke is the only Independent MP that has crossed to the FDC as she seeks to be elected Woman MP for Soroti District.

Her colleague, Mr Ishma Mafabi, the Eastern Youth MP, has not announced his next move since he is still under the youth leadership bracket at the age of 29.
However, some MPs have decided to remain Independent ahead of the nominations scheduled for October 12- December 13.

“I will continue coming as an Independent until issues of my party, UPC, are resolved in court. President Museveni is still holding Jimmy Akena (UPC president) because he planted him in our party. So, until this confusion is resolved, and Akena returns our party to us, I will go Independent,” Mr Julius Peter Ocen, the MP for Kapelebyong County, said.

Whereas Bujumba County MP Julius Mukasa described as a “secret” his decision to remain Independent, his Soroti County counterpart, Mr Kenneth Eitunganene Esiangu, revealed that he cannot manage to go into political party politics.

“It is my choice for now. I want to serve everybody equally because I have been made to understand the dynamics of multiparty sometimes go extreme. I can’t manage this,” he said.

State Minister for Minerals Sarah Opendi is one of those who have gone to seek the NRM flag as she attempts to be re-elected Tororo District Woman MP.
Ms Opendi says she is a strong supporter of the NRM party, but was forced to contest as an Independent candidate in 2016 after being rigged out in the party primary elections.

“After being rigged out, I went to the general elections as an Independent and won. This time I have made the decision after discussing with the President [NRM party chairperson], we agreed that I go back to the party and he will send teams to ensure the process is smooth,” she said.

Still in Tororo, Mr Jacob Oboth-Oboth, who has twice been elected on an Independent ticket as MP for West Budama South after rejecting the outcome of NRM primaries, has gone back to seek the party flag, this time for the newly-created West Budama Central Constituency.

Ms Annet Nyakecho (Tororo North) has insisted on continuing to run as an Independent candidate until issues concerning the delayed split of the district are resolved. She is now among the key supporters of former Security minister, Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde’s presidential bid.

In a related development, five ministers who have been ex-officios in the House have come up to contest for Parliamentary seats from their constituencies of origin. They include Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng (Woman MP, Lira City), Minister for East Africa Affairs, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire (Ruhinda), Lands minister Beti Kamya (Rubaga North), State minister for Youth and Children Affairs Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi (Woman MP, Bukomansimbi) and State Minister for Works, Ms Joy Kabatsi (Lwemiyaga).

Ms Kiyingi, who ran in 2016 for Kampala Woman MP on DP ticket, said after being educated about the NRM ideology, she decided to go and “save Bukomansimbi District from the hands of the Opposition.”

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