NRM’s Kirabo wins Central Youth MP seat
Ms Agnes Kirabo, the flag bearer for the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). PHOTO/COURTESY.
What you need to know:
- Despite NRM being unpopular in most parts of central region, the party has been winning the youth representative seat for the area in Parliament over the years.
Ms Agnes Kirabo, the flag bearer of the ruling National Resistance Movement (party), has been declared winner of the central youth parliamentary seat.
Ms Kirabo, who has previously served as secretary for female affairs and auditor at the NRM Secretariat, polled 780 votes while her closest rival, Mr Ivan Bwowe, garnered 85 votes.
Mr Bwowe is a former Makerere University guild president. He was followed by Micheal Katongole (Ind) 78 votes, Simon Ssenyonga(ind)49 votes, Abdel Kareem Ziritwawula (Ind) nine votes, Javiira Kasumba (FDC) two votes, Alvin Ssemambya( Ind) one vote.
National Unity Platform candidate Moses Kasule was on Sunday disqualified from the race on grounds that he used a non-youth seconder to support his candidature. To win the NRM flag last year, Ms Kirabo polled 212 votes, beating 11 other contenders.
But Mr Bwowe has rejected the results saying the exercise was marred by voter bribery and pledged to seek legal redress.
Actual voting for the central youth MP seat kicked off at 10am at Mubende National Teachers College amid heavy police and army deployment to avert any possible chaos.
However, some of the 1,255 delegates boycotted the exercise, claiming that they had not received part of their three-day upkeep.
Some claimed they were meant to receive Shs1m as allowance on arrival last weekend, but they had received only Shs530,000.
But Mr Chris Namanya, an official from the Electoral Commission (EC), said each youth delegate was entitled to Shs530,000 and another Shs80,000.
“Each of you is supposed to get an allowance of Shs150,000 per day and a transport refund of Shs80,000. This is what EC provided even in other regions and there is nothing we can add,” he said.
Mr Robert Beine, the returning officer for central region, last evening said since some delegates arrived at the voting venue late, this may delay tallying of results .
“We were supposed to start at 7am, but we started at 10am .By 4pm when we were supposed to close the exercise, many voters were still in the queue and we could not stop them,” he said.
Despite NRM being unpopular in most parts of central region, the party has been winning the youth representative seat for the area in Parliament over the years.
The seat has previously been held by Mr Faisal Kikulukunyu, Ms Rose Namayanja Nsereko, Mr Joseph Muyomba Kasozi, Mr Patrick Nakabale and Ms Sarah Babirye Kityo, all from NRM.
