Muloni back to lead Bulambuli, NRM party wins big in Tororo 

Former minister of Energy and Mineral Development Irene Nafuna Muloni who lost in the 2016 General Election has won the Woman MP seat in Bulambuli District after defeating the incumbent, Ms Sarah Wekomba, the daughter of Bugisu’s businessman Stephen Wekomba.

Ms Muloni, who is now a senior presidential adviser, was declared winner after she got 28,875 against Ms Wekomba’s 19,656.

In 2016, Ms Muloni lost the seat to Ms Wekomba with a difference of 568 votes in an election marred with violence.

Some of the political analysts said the incumbent made pledges, among them, distribution of solar panels to each household, which she did not deliver. They also accused the incumbent of failure to keep in touch with the locals. But Ms Wekomba denied the allegations as baseless.

Mr Paul Woniala, a political analyst, said: “Ms Wekomba could not fit in the shoes of Ms Muloni. She could not articulate issues affecting locals the way Ms Muloni used to do when she was an MP.” 

Mr James Magona, a resident of Muyembe Town Council, said President Museveni used to routinely visit the district when Ms Muloni was a minister and MP.

“Ms Muloni had put Bulambuli on the international map and Mr Museveni used to visit our area that is why Ms Muloni’s absence was missed,” he said.

But Ms Wekomba said in her reign,  she supported farmers with seedlings to fight poverty and led fundraising drives to construct bridges. She also says she donated an ambulance in the district to help expectant mothers.

On the election exercise, the incumbent said her agents were beaten and chased away from some polling stations in the sub-counties of Upper Bulambuli. 

“The election was not free and fair,” she said.

Muloni speaks on win

Ms Muloni attributes her success to lobbying for rural electrification projects.  She said she won because of the block vote she got from the youth.

“The youth overwhelmingly supported me because I can lobby for them employment opportunities,” she said. Ms Muloni pledged that she will lobby to have electricity extended to diferent areas of the district.

 “I am also going to follow up with President Museveni on the issues of roads,” she said, adding that she will work with government to empower locals with income generating projects.

The former minister served as a Woman Member of Parliament (MP) for Bulambuli from 2011 to 2016.  She was elected after the area was carved out of Sironko District on July 1, 2010.

In Bulambuli, Mr Museveni got 38,504 votes against Mr Robert Kyagulanyi’s 10,663 votes.

In Manafwa District, the Minister of Energy, Ms Mary Goretti Kitutu, won with 31,324 votes defeating her arch-rival Rose Mutonyi who got 17,061.

In Tororo District, the NRM party won most of the parliamentary seats. Among them include,  the State minister for Minerals, Ms Sarah Opendi, as Woman MP, Fredrick Angura for Tororo South, Dr Emmanuel Otaala for West Budama South, and Fox Odoi for West Budama North East.

Others were Jacob Oboth-Oboth for West Budama Central, Maximus Ochai for West Budama North and Apollo Ofwono for Tororo Municipality.

Mr Dickson Opio,  a political analyst, said although Tororo District is dominated by NRM MPs, the main Opposition contender, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobiwine was gaining momentum.

President Museveni garnered 86,248 votes while Mr Kyagulanyi got 54,556.

In Tororo North County,  FDC flag bearer and former MP Geoffrey Ekanya won the race. He defeated the incumbent,  Ms Annette Nyaketcho (Independent).