Ex-minister Muloni fights  to reclaim Bulambuli seat

The political season is rife and many people, including former and current ministers, and Members of Parliament (MPs) are positioning themselves to take various constituencies.
Such candidates include former Energy minister Irene Muloni, who is working to reclaim the Bulambuli District Woman MP seat.

The seat is currently occupied by Ms Sarah Nambozo Wekomba. The other candidate is Ms Scovia Muduwa, 42, an agricultural engineer and flag bearer of the National Unity Platform (NUP) party.

 Ms Wekomba, who is daughter of businessman Stephen Wekomba, was first elected in 2016, after defeating Ms Muloni with a difference of 568 votes.
Ms Wekomba contested as an Independent while the former minister was the flag bearer for the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.

Daily Monitor learnt that Ms Wekomba wanted to contest in the recently concluded NRM primaries for the flag but chickened out at the last minute,  giving Ms Muloni a lee way.
 Ms Muloni won the NRM flag after she got 69,592 votes, while her opponent, Ms Patience Nambozo, got 5,305 votes.

What voters say
Whereas Ms Muloni’s supporters say Ms Wekomba pulled out of NRM primaries because she was afraid of defeat since her candidature is no longer appealing to electorates as it was in 2016, the latter’s supporters dispute the claims.
“We stopped her from participating in the NRM primaries after we found out that sub-county registrars had been bribed,” Mr Charles Wepukhulu, the Bukhalu Sub-county councillor, says.

According to the opinion leaders, Ms Muloni is well placed to reclaim the seat come 2021 elections.
They also claim the former minister’s continued involvement in the various projects benefitting the area even after she lost the seat in 2016 have endeared her to the voters.
Mr Fred Smiti, a resident of Nabongo Sub-county, says the minister is tried and tested and Ms Wekomba should give her a chance.

A section of residents also accuses Ms Wekomba of failure to address the issues affecting them such as landslides, floods, boundary conflicts with Sebei Sub-region, among others, on the floor of Parliament.

Ms Muloni, who is now a senior presidential adviser, was elected after Bulambuli was carved out of Sironko District. 
Bulambuli has 23 sub-counties with a voter population of about 60,000.
However, Mr Isaiah Shibuta, the personal assistant of Ms Wekomba, says under the reign of Ms Muloni, poverty levels were high in Bulambuli.

“We never saw development in this district apart from Ms Muloni and her supporters telling us how powerful she is,” Mr Shibuta says.
He adds that on her part, Ms Wekomba has supported farmers with seedlings to fight poverty and funded construction of bridges on River Sironko, easing accessibility.

What incumbent has done
“She has also bought an ambulance, which helps pregnant mothers to have safe deliveries,” Mr Shibuta says.
However, Mr Denis Wanyolo, the district youth chairperson says supporters of Ms Wekomba have been blindfolded by handouts.
“They have been blindfolded by the little money they get from her but the truth is as a district, we blundered and we will not repeat it,” Mr Wanyolo says. 

He adds that even when Ms Muloni lost in 2016, she has continued to lobby for the construction of more classroom blocks at various secondary and primary schools in order to improve education standards.
 “She has participated in fundraising and discussions with teachers to forge a way forward to enhance academic performance,” he says.

Earlier, Ms Wekomba, while addressing journalists, said she has done better than her predecessor in the education and health sectors in the district.
 She made the remarks shortly after handing over an ambulance and printing machine to the RDC, Mr Peter Pex Paak, at the district headquarters.

But Ms Scovia Muduwa, one of the aspirants for the seat, said the incumbent and Ms Muloni should give way, saying they both have failed the people of Bulambuli. She adds that if elected, she will lobby for the tarmacking of the Simu- Mbigi Road and also rehabilitate other feeder roads such as Pondo -Buluganya.

NUP candidate pledges
“I will also organise and strengthen marketing groups to advocate for better markets and prices for the commonly grown commodities such as coffee, passion fruits, Irish potatoes, bananas, tomatoes and cabbage,” she says.

However, in an interview with Daily Monitor last week, Ms Muloni said while still minister of Energy, she ensured that power was extended to Bulambuli through the rural electrification programme.
“Bulambuli benefited and areas that are not yet connected have been surveyed and will progressively benefit from the programme,” she said.

profiles
Ms Sarah Nambozo Wekomba was born in 1978. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies from Makerere University. She is contesting as an Independent.

Ms Irene Muloni, born in 1960, is currently a senior presidential adviser. She served as minister for Energy and Minerals Development from 2011 to 2020. She held the position of Woman Member of Parliament for Bulambuli District from May 2011 to May 2016.  She is the NRM flag bearer.

Ms Scovia Muduwa, born in 1978, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering from Makerere University.  She is contesting on the NUP ticket.

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