NUP sweeps Kampala councillor seats

Mr Ffeffeka Sserubogo, the winner of Kayunga District chairperson seat (NUP), celebrates his victory yesterday. PHOTO/FRED MUZAALE
 

National Unity Platform (NUP) on Wednesday scooped at least 39 of the city councillors in the five divisions of Kampala.

By Thursday, we were able to obtain winners of 42 city councillors in Nakawa, Makindye, Kawempe, Rubaga, and central divisions.

This yet again indicates a win in Kampala City for NUP, which is led by former Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine. 

From the analysis, NUP gathered 88.6 per cent victory.

However, Mr Fred Muwaya, one of the returning officers, said in total, there are 44 Kampala City councillors positions that were voted for.

By press time, we were able to establish 42 city councillors.
The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party scooped three city councillors in Kampala, information we had gathered by press time indicated.

In some divisions, NUP defeated all the other political parties. For example in Rubaga, it is only NUP that scooped all city councillors as well as Kawempe.

In divisions such as Nakawa, NUP took all the city councillors positions except Nakawa A where FDC merged the winner. 
Preliminary  information indicates that NRM was unable to score any city councillor post in all five divisions. 
In Nakawa, NUP won all the six seats for the directly elected councillors (LC5) for Nakawa East and West. 
For the women seats, NUP won Nakawa B,C and D.
Ms Nancy Kirungi, the Electoral Commission returning officer for Nakawa, declared the winners  yesterday. 
Mr Nkugwa Fauzol of NUP won the Nakawa I seat with 2,794 votes, defeating his closest rival in the NRM, Mr Robert Webale, who got 1,159 votes.

This is not any different from the just concluded parliamentary and presidential elections where Mr Museveni lost in Buganda region for the first time at the hands of Mr Kyagulanyi, but won bigger than usual tallies in many parts of the northern Uganda and other areas.  Mr Museveni labelled Mr Kyagulanyi as sectarian, citing the voting pattern in Buganda.

Observer’s take
Ms Charity Ahimbisibwe, the executive director Citizen Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda, said it is not surprising that NUP has been sweeping votes in Buganda and other regions as voters are driven by emotions for what they like, and those emotions usually change with what is new.
Ms Ahimbisibwe added that when NUP came, it had an appeal, a master plan, especially to the young people.

However, in the district chairperson elections, NRM obtained at least 86 seats in at least 135 districts whereas FDC got five seats and NUP 11.