Why Kadaga beat Namuganza in Busoga
Apart from Kaliro District where her nemesis won with 46 votes, the Speaker of Parliament, Ms Rebecca Kadaga, defeated Ms Persis Namuganza, the State Minister of Lands, in the rest of Busoga Sub-region in the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) vice chairperson, female elections held last Thursday.
Ms Kadaga garnered a total of 6,716 votes while Ms Namuganza got 3,882 votes according to results released by the NRM electoral commission.
Although the duo hail from Busoga, political actors attribute Ms Kadaga’s victory in the sub-region to several factors.
Mr Titus Kisambira, the Jinja District chairperson, said Ms Kadaga’s victory was deserving because she has promoted girl-child education.
“She has promoted education of the girl child in the region and is a senior politician whose potential could not be undermined while raising issues concerning voters during CEC meetings,’’ he said.
Mr Moses Walyomu, the Kagoma County MP in Jinja City, said Ms Namuganza was defeated because “she is incapable of being a CEC leader at this time.”
“Not because your father is old that you disown him and get another father; we still love Ms Kadaga despite her age,” he said.
Ms Victoria Apili, the speaker of Kamuli district council, said Ms Kadaga has contributed more to the development of Busoga than Ms Namuganza.
“She has fought for the elevation of Kamuli Town Council to a municipality and Jinja municipality to a city. Most of the roads in Kamuli are tarmacked, through her, many presidential pledges in the area have been fulfilled and she is supposed to lobby for more projects like the Buyende ferry," Ms Apili said.
Mr Thomas Kategere, the Kamuli District chairperson, who was supporting Ms Namuganza, said: Ms Kadaga is a champion of the girl child education.“Ms Kadaga is a champion of girl child education of which Ms Namuganza is a by-product and role model whom the students have to follow."
Mr George Lubera, the chairperson Namutumba Sub-county, said Ms Namuganza lost because she previously attacked Busoga Kingdom.
“Ms Namuganza lost because she abused the Kyabazinga. Few people can vote for a person who abuses cultural leaders. She exhibited indiscipline," he said.
Ms Namuganza, who is also the Bukono County MP, came under the spotlight for her alleged attacks on Ms Kadaga and Kyabazinga William Nadiope Gabula IV in March 2018.
Her attacks regarded the enthronement of the chief of Bukona, one of the hereditary chiefdoms in Busoga, prompting the Busoga parliamentary caucus to summon her.
However, during the CEC campaigns, Ms Namuganza accused the Speaker of exhibiting indiscipline while presiding over plenary sittings.
Ms Namuganza reminded NEC of Parliament’s passing of a motion of displeasure in the President in May over his attacks on MPs for allocating themselves Shs20m each off the Covid-19 supplementary budget.
“One of the people I am standing with is the Speaker of Parliament, and in order to serve in that position it was agreed upon in CEC but I was shocked to see her preside over the passing of an illegal motion to show displeasure in the President who is our party chairman,” Ms Namuganza said.
She had promised to be the voice of the young generation and women in CEC.
How busoga voted
Ms Namuganza polled 18 votes in Namutumba District while Ms Kadaga got 48. Ms Namuganza scored eight votes in Jinja against Ms Kadaga’s 90 while in Kamuli District where Ms Kadaga hails, Ms Namuganza got five votes and Ms Kadaga got 102.
In Buyende District, Ms Namuganza and Ms Kadaga polled zero and 64 votes, respectively. Ms Namuganza only won in Kaliro with 46 votes against Ms Kadaga’s 20.
In Bugweri, Ms Kadaga got 46, while Ms Namuganza polled 12, in Iganga, Ms Kadaga got 86, while Ms Namuganza polled 28, in Bugiri, Ms Kadaga got 70 against Ms Namuganza’s 15, in Mayuge, Ms Kadaga scored 70, Ms Namuganza three and in Namayingo, Ms Kadaga garnered 41 polls against Ms Namuganza’s 27.
Compiled by Tausi Nakato, Ronald Seebe & Sam Opio Caleb
