The Electoral Commission set December 16 as the by-election date. PHOTO/COURTESY 

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Who will win Kayunga LC5 by-election?

What you need to know:

  • NRM has vowed to take the seat back from Opposition, while NUP is relying on a former district woman MP contestant to retain the position.
  • 27,878: Number of votes that NUP’s Mohammed Ffeffekka Sserubogo (RIP) garnered to win the LC5 seat. Mr Andrew Muwonge came second with 12,658.

Voters in Kayunga will go to the polls on December 16 to elect the district chairperson in a highly billed by-election.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has set November 29 and 30 as nomination dates for the candidates in a race that has so far attracted five aspirants.

They include Mr Andrew Muwonge, (NRM), Ms Harriet Nakwedde (National Unity Platform), Mr Anthony Waddimba (Democratic Party) and independents Magid Nyanzi and Boniface Bandikubi.

National Resistance Movement’s  Andrew Muwonge. PHOTO/COURTESY 

The seat fell vacant following the death of Mohammed Ffeffekka Sserubogo (NUP) after a month in office.

In the January 2021 elections, NUP swept most of the political positions in the district, with Ffeffekka the first politician from the Opposition to head the district of about 420,000 people.
In the previous elections, the land question was a major determinant for choice of a candidate.

Politicians such as Ms Ida Nantaba, the district Woman MP, have been riding on the land question to rally support.  Kayunga remains a hotbed for land wrangles and whoever speaks out against land grabbers gains support.

Mr Muwonge, who lost the February  election to Ffeffekka, has bounced back in the race.

The 36-year-old is the former district NRM youth council chairperson and a businessman in Kampala.

His endorsement, however, is being contested by some NRM bigwigs in the district, including Ms Nantaba.

Mr Muwonge, being relatively new in elective politics, however, is riding on the mobilisation of the NRM secretariat to win the race.

These include Ms Rosemary Sseninde (director mobilisation), Ms Rosemary Namayanja (deputy secretary general, Mr Tanga Odoi (party electoral chairperson) and Mr Emmanuel Dombo (director for publicity). 

They  recently camped in the district for a week to mobilise support for him.
“We shall do whatever it takes to win back this district into NRM hands,” Ms Robinah Nabbanja, the Prime Minister, said during a recent visit to the district.

Mr Odoi, who acknowledged that internal divisions could cost the party victory in the by-election, said they would prevail over Ms Nantaba to stop supporting an independent candidate.

Ms Harriet Nakwedde
Ms Nakwedde is a 41-year-old secondary school teacher-cum politician who has lost twice in the district Woman MP race.

National Unity Platform’s Harriet Nakwedde. PHOTO/COURTESY 

Her persistence in elective politics despite losing has given her political mileage in the district.
“We should give a consolation vote to Ms Nakwedde because she has stood with the Opposition despite attempts by the NRM to lure her to join them,”  Mr Dan Luutu, a resident of Kayunga Town, says.

Ms Nakwedde, who joined NUP last year, is also the former district Forum for Democratic Change party chairperson. 
 She served as the district secretary for education in the last term, which enabled her to mobilise support.

In the January parliamentary election, Ms Nakwedde polled 37,117 votes against Ms Nantaba’s 42,725.
Ms Nakwedde hopes to build on these votes to win the race.

However, her candidature is likely to be fought by some NUP leaders with whom she contested with for the party flag. 

Some of the losers claim Ms Nakwedde was unfairly handed the flag since she is also holding the one for the district Woman MP seat.

“If anything happens and we go into a by-election for the district Woman MP seat, does she surrender the LC 5 seat flag? This is selfishness,”  an aspirant said.

Who are the other aspirants?
Mr Magid Nyanzi

He is serving his second term as Kayunga Town mayor. He previously worked as an accountant with the district.

Mr Magid Nyanzi. PHOTO/FILE 

Mr Nyanzi is riding on Ms Ida Nantaba, the former IT’s State Minister’s mobilisation skills to win the election. 

Mr Nyanzi is also likely to win in Kayunga Town Council, where he defeated NUP’s Paul Musoke in the last election. “If you want your land not to be stolen, vote Nyanzi as district chairperson,” Ms Nantaba told residents of Nabuganyi in Busaana Sub-county during a land meeting recently. However, Ms Nantaba has denied supporting Mr Nyanzi.

Mr Boniface Bandikubi
Mr Bandikubi is a former district speaker. He is contesting as an Independent after losing in the  NRM primaries in 2020.

Mr Bandikubi has contested three times for the district top seat and lost. However, he has been winning in Bbaale County, where he hails. 

Mr Boniface Bandikubi. PHOTO/COURTESY 

In the last LC 5 election, he garnered a total of 2, 717 votes.  “I have come to fight land wrangles  and also ensure that service delivery is improved,” Mr Bandikubi says.

He once represented Galilaaya Sub-county as a councillor.  He holds a degree in education and a master’s degree in public administration from Kampala International University.

Anthony Waddimba
Mr Waddimba, 33, is a member of the DP technical team at the party’s headquarters. In 2016, he contested for the Ntenjeru South MP seat on the DP ticket and lost to NRM’s Fred Baseke.

Candidate, Mr Anthony Waddimba. PHOTO/FILE

He holds a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Economics from Makerere University. Mr Waddimba is also riding on the support from the disgruntled NUP supporters who do not support the flag bearer.