I'm in Parliament to stay, says Nabeta
Jinja South East City MP-elect, Mr Nathan Igeme Nabeta during the interview last week. PHOTO/DENIS EDEMA.
What you need to know:
- Mr Nabeta, who has twice been voted, has had his victory successfully challenged in Court by Mr Mwiru over his alleged lack of requisite academic papers and rigging.
- Following both suits, Mr Mwiru has gone ahead to complete Mr Igeme's terms, leaving voters anticipating a similar ending.
The newly-elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Jinja South East City constituency, Mr Nathan Igeme Nabeta has vowed to be in Parliament for a full five-year term.
Mr Nabeta was declared winner in a tight race in which he garnered 5,621 votes against his nearest challenger from the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party, Mr Paul Mwiru, who got 5,355 votes.
Mr Nabeta, who has twice been voted, has had his victory successfully challenged in Court by Mr Mwiru over his alleged lack of requisite academic papers and rigging.
Following both suits, Mr Mwiru has gone ahead to complete Mr Igeme's terms, leaving voters anticipating a similar ending.
"I expect Mr Igeme to swear in, legislate for about two years after which Mwiru will complete his term," Mr Musa Kalinaki, a voter said.
However, while speaking to Daily Monitor last week, Mr Nabeta, who is also the Jinja NRM chairperson, said: "Residents voted for me because of my maturity, integrity and I'm in Parliament to stay."
“The most important thing to be a leader in a City like Jinja is how to plan and work closely with all stakeholders, listen to their ideas and clearly bring out your development plan before them,” he added.
According to Mr Nabeta, his immediate task will be to look into infrastructural developments of road networks in the slum areas of Soweto, Danida and Kikaramoja.
He further explained that the unemployed youths, who constitute 68 per cent of the population in the area, need skilling, whether educated or uneducated.
Asked how he is going to work in a City teeming with Opposition MPs, Mr Nabeta described himself as 'a Pan Africanist leader who loves Uganda' and will serve regardless of political affiliation.
"I do not see any problem working with Opposition leaders for noble change. As a leader, it is wrong to only serve a section of people who voted you because of the party you belonged to.Once you are elected you are bound to represent all their views without discrimination,” he remarked.
Mr Nabeta said this is not his first time to be voted as MP, but acknowledged that once a person becomes a politician, he or she must be ready to be witch hunted which is the game of politics.
“The day you announce you are in politics, you must know that you are going to be witch hunted. I know who is on my side and who is fighting me. I am now mature and not the Nabeta of those days (sic)”, he noted.
Without mentioning names, he said his detractors added- are fellow (NRM) party members who he defeated in the primaries.
"These have ganged up against me to support one candidate for their selfish interests," he said.
