I won’t be absent like my father - Kutesa’s daughter

Ms Shartis Musherure Kutesa , one of the candidates vying for Mawogola North parliamentary seat in Sembabule District, has promised to regularly attend parliamentary sessions unlike her father, Mr Sam Kutesa .

Ms Musherure, who seeks to replace her father, said Mr Kutesa, being the Minister for Foreign Affairs, has always had a busy schedule which involves travelling to other countries which could not allow him to regularly attend parliamentary sessions.

“It is true my father could not attend some of the parliamentary sessions during this ending Parliament. He was always travelling to foreign countries to lobby for Uganda, but trust me, I will not be like him,”  she said while launching her campaigns at Nyakazunzu Trading Centre in Mijwala Sub-county,  last week.

“I will always be present in Parliament to present your views and also in the constituency to ensure that you benefit from government development programmes,” Ms Musherure added.

Ms Musherure was responding to a question from Mr Benon Kwesiga, a resident of Nyakazunzu, who wanted to know whether she will not be like her father who rarely attends Parliamentary sittings.

Several recent parliamentary performance scorecards have rated Mr Kutesa among the perpetual absentees from the sessions, a trend which slows legislative processes. 

The Parliamentary Performance Scorecard is a governance monitoring tool used to provide Ugandans with critical information about the performance of MPs.

Ms Musherure, who is an NRM-leaning independent candidate, lost in the September 30 hotly contested party primaries to Mr Godfrey Aine Kaguta, aka Sodo, President Museveni’s younger brother.

However, the top NRM leadership advised both candidates to stand as independents to avoid dividing party members in the constituency.

Ms Musherure chose a ball as her campaign symbol while Sodo uses a bicycle.  However, both contenders have continued to use NRM colours and T-Shirts with NRM labels as they solicit for votes.

She promised to ensure that cohesion is maintained among NRM supporters despite the clashes that characterised the primary elections.

While addressing voters at Kasalu trading centre in Mijwala last week, Mr Aine reiterated that he was forced to stand as independent even when he genuinely won the party ticket.

“The reason why I wear NRM shirts is that I am a party member and I won the party primaries. Those who doubt should come to Sembabule and see the overwhelming support I have,” he said. 

Mr Aine pledged to extend piped water and electricity to all villages in the constituency.
Other contenders in the race include National Unity Platform flag bearer Nyanzi Mwanje and Mr Moses Lyazi of Forum for Democratic Change.

Independents include Mr Salim Kisekka, Ms Christine Nanyanzi, Mr Hilary Tukunane and Mr Ismail Wagaba.

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