Kadaga, Otafiire lead pack as veterans bounce back

BY ISAAC MUFUMBA

The Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, looks set to extend her record as the longest serving MP in the country after she easily romped to victory in the NRM party primaries in Kamuli District.

Ms Kadaga, who has been an MP since 1989 when the National Resistance Council (NRC), was expanded to include non-bush war fighters, defeated her lone challenger, Ms Deborah Mwesigwa Mugerwa with 118,743 votes against Ms Mugerwa’s 7,243.

This is the second time the two women have contested the primaries for the same seat. Ms Mugerwa first had a go at Ms Kadaga in 2015 and lost, but went on to contest the February 2016 elections, which also ended in defeat.
Ms Kadaga emerged winner with 90,852 votes, Ms Mugerwa came second with 24,073 votes and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC)’s Miriam Namwase Muntu polled 7,258 votes.

The win in Friday’s primaries puts Ms Kadaga in a strong position to retain the Kamuli District Woman MP seat.
Ms Kadaga now leads a pack of historical members of the NRM and long-serving members who have bounced back following victories in their respective races.
In Kasese, Uganda’s ambassador to China, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, emerged victorious in the battle for the Bukonzo West seat.

Whereas he was the NRM party flag bearer in the 2016 elections, Dr Kiyonga, who is perceived to be a strong pillar of the NRM in Kasese, having represented Uganda People’s Movement (UPM), which later transited into the NRM, in Parliament in the Obote II era, suffered defeat at the hands of Godfrey Atkins Katusabe.

On Friday, Dr Kiyonga was declared winner with 28,000 votes. The runner-up , Mr Sausi Capson Jastor, polled 4,464 votes.
In Mitooma, Maj Gen Kahinda Otafiire bounced back after having suffered crushing defeats at the hands of Capt Donozio Kahonda in both the NRM primaries of 2015 and the general election that followed.

In the primaries, Kahonda scored 21,467 against Gen Otafiire’s 12,949. During the general elections, Capt Kahonda ran away with 26,029 votes against Gen Otafiire’s 17,269. Gen Otafiire, however, bounced back with a commanding victory on Friday.

In Katakwi, the former Minister for Education and Sports, Maj Jessica Alupo, who suffered defeat in the NRM primaries of 2015 and the general election that followed to Ms Viola Akurut Adome, was declared winner with 38,582 votes against Ms Adome’s 29.435 votes.

The other two candidates, Ms Angella Anuken and Ms Clare Apuno, posted 84 and 13.760 votes, respectively.
Ms Adome has, however, protested the outcome of the election, claiming it was not a reflection of the registered number of voters in the district.

“We are going to challenge this at the NRM secretariat, this results were doctored,” she told the NRM officials in Katakwi.

But Ms Alupo, who was in celebratory mood, said the result was a reflection of the frustration that the people felt with her rivals’ leadership, which has failed to deliver results for the people of Katakwi.

In Tororo, former State Minister for Health, Dr Emmanuel Otaala Otiam, bounced back with victory in West Budama where he got 13,741 votes, against the 5,669 votes posted by another former minister, Mr Emmanuel Othieno Akiika, and Mr Franklin Owor’s 5,448.
Also back is Mr Fox Odoi and he did so with a very loud bang.

The former legal officer at State House, who also served as MP for West Budama Central in the last Parliament, got 20,880 votes against the 7,071 that was posted by the incumbent, Mr Richard Othieno Okoth.
In Bulambuli District, the former minister of Energy, Ms Irene Muloni, won the Woman MP seat flag with 69,592 votes.

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