Kawempe North by-election: Maiden NUP candidates' debate causes excitement

The Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party last Friday subjected its aspiring candidates for the Kawempe North parliamentary by-elections to a live televised debate, causing excitement in political circles.

Though the debate was intended to showcase the candidates’ grasp of parliamentary roles and governance, it quickly took a different turn, with nearly half of the aspirants struggling to articulate themselves in English.

Also, the debate was to engage the aspirants' competencies in articulating issues on governance and parliamentary debate.

One of the candidates, Mr. Moses Nsereko, turned his session into a comedy performance, drawing laughter from the audience instead of delivering substantive policy proposals.

Shortly after the debate, NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu said the process offers an opportunity for transparency in the electoral system that has eluded Uganda since independence.

"NUP is a young political party, but we believe this is how parties should function through a transparent process that allows the public to assess candidates, rather than making arbitrary selections,’’ Mr. Kyagulanyi said.

Two candidates, Umar Magala, a former political prisoner, and Erias Nalukoola, a well-known human rights lawyer, stood out with articulate debating skills.

The party is expected to announce the ticket bearer tomorrow.

The party secretary general, Mr. David Lewis Rubongoya, urged those who will not go through as the party flag bearer not to seek elections as independent candidates but to rally in support of the official party candidate.

"Our teams are in the constituency, consulting different sections of voters about all candidates. This consultation will contribute 50 percent to the final decision," he said.

A section of the population said the televised debate offered a good opportunity to test the leadership skills of aspirants.

The debates received a round of applause from across the political divide, with the ruling NRM party, which has permanently ring-fenced the position of the presidential candidate to Museveni alone, weighing in.

The NRM Director of Communications, Mr. Emmanuel Dombo, said the NRM administration also embraces candidates’ meetings and debates.

“During the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections, all candidates moved together, and so was the practice under the movement system until the selfish thieves infiltrated the politics of Uganda. Usually, these selfish individuals prefer campaigning alone so that they can bribe the voters. In the proposed new regulations for the primary elections, it has been proposed that we revive joint candidates’ meetings,” he said.

Mr. Mukasa Mbidde, the Democratic Party vice president, said the debate presents opportunities and challenges.

“Internal debates may sometimes exacerbate divisions within the party, especially if candidates become overly combative, leading to a toxic atmosphere. Additionally, the success of these debates relies heavily on their moderation; poorly managed debates can lead to misinformation and misinterpretation,” he said.

Mr. John Kikonyogo, FDC spokesperson, commended the great significance of debates, stating that FDC had debates, citing an example of the August 31, 2015, FDC party presidential flag bearer debate between Dr. Kizza Besigye and Mr. Mugisha Muntu.

Ms. Sarah Birete, the executive director of the Center for Constitutional Governance, commended the NUP party for organizing the debate to provide a platform for all candidates to voice their manifestos to the voters.

Who’s in the Race?
The final NUP flagbearer, to be announced on February 11, will join a growing list of candidates in the Kawempe North by-election, including:
•    Faridah Nambi (NRM)
•    Sadat Mukiibi a.k.a Khalifah Aganaga (FDC)
•    Musiitwa Ismail (People’s Progressive Party - PPP)
•    Hanifah Karadi (Independent, former NRM)
•    Muhamood Mutazindwa (Independent)
•    Twahira Akabdinda Ssegirinya (Independent, widow of the late MP Muhammad Ssegirinya)