Four in race to replace Karooro in Bushenyi
What you need to know:
- Ms Karooro, who is also the State Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, was defeated in September NRM primaries by Ms Annet Katusiime Mugisha, the wife of Mr Silver Mugisha, the managing director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation.
Ms Mary Okurut Karooro, the Bushenyi Woman MP (NRM), will not contest for the seat for the first time since 2004. She was reelected in 2006, 2011 and 2016.
Ms Karooro, who is also the State Minister for General Duties in the Office of the Prime Minister, was defeated in September NRM primaries by Ms Annet Katusiime Mugisha, the wife of Mr Silver Mugisha, the managing director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation.
Ms Katusiime, 46, is up against three other candidates; Ms Federica Nshemerirwe (Forum for Democratic Change), Ms Madinah Atuheire Lukwago (Ind) and Ms Faith Kyamanywa (Alliance for National Transformation).
Ms Katusiime, who hails from Kantunda in Bumbaire Sub-county, has pledged to improve household incomes through supporting village saving groups.
She is one of the directors of Bamugisha Community Welfare, an organisation engaged in fighting poverty.
Ms Katusiime also promises to ensure that health facilities are well equipped to reduce maternal deaths.
Agricultural plans
Ms Nshemerirwe, who contested in 2016 election, hopes to improve the agricutural sector.
She has previously worked at Kawanda Research Institute as head of horticulture and mushroom cultivation.
She also worked in Tanzania as a consultant in mushroom cultivation and travelled to Japan, Egypt, Holland, Vietnam, Hungary, Belgium and North Korea.
“I want to improve agricultural productivity in Bushenyi as a way of fighting poverty in households,” says Ms Nshemereirwe.
Ms Atuheire pledges to support farmers with agriculture loans to enable them engage in commercial farming.
Many families in the district rely on subsistance farming.
Additionally, ranching for beef and dairy farming for milk production are widely practiced on both subsistence and commercial scales.
Ms Kyamanywa hopes to restore unity in the district.
“People of Bushenyi are divided on religious lines; I will try to unite them using barazas (community dialogue meetings). Through barazas, I will also help me know their other problems. I will also fight for improvement health services for the benefit of mothers,” Ms Kyamanywa says.
About the candidates
Ms Annet Katusiime Mugisha has a degree in guidance and counselling from Nkozi University. She has worked as a primary school teacher and has been into catering services.
Ms Federica Nshemerirwe hails from Bunyarigi cell, Central Division in Bushenyi -Ishaka Municipality. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Nairobi University in Kenya.
Ms Atuheire is a resident of Rwemirokora, Ishaka Division in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality. She has a degree in business administration and a Master’s degree in the same field. She is a lecturer at Kampala International University, Ishaka campus. She is pursuing PhD in business management at the same institution. Ms Atuhaire is married to Mr Mohammed Lukwago, the NRM chairperson for Ishaka-Division.
Ms Faith Kyamanywa hails from Kamate Cell, Central Division in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality. She has a degree in administration and management from Uganda Christian University.
