Wanyoto, 5 others take on Galiwango in battle for Mbale City Woman seat

The battle for the Mbale City Woman Member of Parliament seat in the 2021 election is gaining momentum, with several aspirants vowing to unseat the incumbent, Ms Connie Nakayenze Galiwango.

Ms Galiwango, who is the wife of Dr Hassan Wasswa Galiwango, the former director of finance and administration in the ruling NRM party, has been Mbale District Woman MP since 2011. However, she is now seeking to represent women in the newly created Mbale City.
Ms Galiwango, a teacher by profession, took the woman MP seat in 2016 General Election after she garnered 98,424 votes.

She defeated her closest rival, Ms Margaret Wokuri, who was running on Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket, and got 39,037 votes.
In the previous elections (2011 and 2016), Ms Galiwango had a smooth sail in the NRM party primaries but now, according to the political analysts, she faces an uphill task this time.

With the chairperson of NRM Women League, Ms Lydia Wanyoto, in the race, the contest is set to be one of the toughest in the area.
Ms Wanyoto, a lawyer by profession, is one of the three aspirants eyeing the NRM ticket, which will be decided on September 4.

Other aspirants include Ms Jalia Namasaba and Ms Shadia Luwungule Hussein, both businesswomen.
The Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party has fronted Ms Maimuna Nambuya, a councillor representing Namatala Ward in Mbale, for the Woman MP seat.

Ms Halima Asena, a journalist by profession, and Robinah Nadunga, a businesswoman, are also vying for the seat on the National Unity Platform (NUP) party ticket. However, one is expected to give way after NUP primaries.

Mbale voting pattern
Since the introduction of multiparty politics in 2005, Mbale City and surrounding counties, have been regarded as Opposition strongholds.

For example, in the 2016 presidential elections, the FDC candidate, Dr Kizza Besigye, defeated President Museveni by 4,715 votes in the district.

Dr Besigye garnered 70,258 votes while Mr Museveni got 65,543.
The voters also elected two FDC MPs; Mr Jack Wamai Wamanga (Mbale Municipality), and Sizomu Gashomu Wambede (Bunghokho North).

NRM got two MPs; Ms Galiwango, who is the district Woman MP, and Mr Micheal Werikhe, the MP for Bunghokho South, who also doubles as the State minister for Trade.
Mbale City is also home to the Bamasaba cultural institution.

However, the population of the city is multi-ethnic comprising Basoga, Bagwere, and Baganda, among others.
Mr Innocent Dibba, a local political analyst, says the biggest contest will be between Ms Galiwango and Ms Wanyoto.

“The race is between Ms Wanyoto and Ms Galiwango and whoever wins in the NRM primaries, will likely emerge as the winner in final elections,” he says. Mr Dibba adds that it is likely that if Ms Galiwango loses in party primaries, she will still contest as independent.

In the previous NRM primaries for the district woman MP, Ms Galiwango beat Ms Wanyoto by 22,917 votes.
If Ms Galiwango is to retain the flag, political pundits, say she needs to regain the support of a bigger section of NRM supporters, who believe she betrayed them when she voted against lifting of the presidential age limit.

Opposition critics on the other hand also fault Ms Galiwango for failing to offer vibrant leadership in terms of legislation and representation on the floor of Parliament.

However, Ms Galiwango’s supporters contend that she is the best candidate for the job.
They say there are forces within the NRM party, who are pushing for her unceremonious exit from the political scene.

Mr Hassan Magobe, an ardent supporter of NRM party and youth leader, says Ms Galiwango committed no crime in representing their views in Parliament.
“She has delivered to our satisfaction and she should be voted back at all costs. She also supports President Museveni,” Mr Magobe, says. Like Mr Magobe, most of Ms Galiwango’s supporters blame Ms Wanyoto for her troubles within the party.

“Ms Galiwango has never had peace because of Ms Wanyoto but this time, we are going to seal her fate,” he says.
Mr Robert Kizengi, a supporter of Ms Wanyoto, says Ms Galiwango and her supporters should stop lamenting.
“They should stop crying and lamenting. This is a political race where we have to vote for the best. No more sympathies,” he says.

Supporters of Ms Wanyoto say their candidate is better placed owing to her experience as lawyer, diplomat and an expert on security and regional issues to lead the new city.

New city boundaries
Mbale City has two city divisions; Bungokho and Industrial. Bungokho Division comprises Northern Division, Nakaloke Town Council and the sub-counties of Bukonde, Nakaloke, Namasaba, Lwaso and Namanyonyi.

Industrial Division is made up of Bugema-Nauyo, Wanale, Bukasakya and Nambale (Bungokho-Mutoto).
Mr Ali Wamboya, a resident of Makudui Village in Namanyonyi Sub-county, says they have tested Ms Galiwango and she has failed.

“If she was vibrant in Parliament or in the NRM party, she would have been appointed minister, but she is not,” he says. But Ms Galiwango known as Mama Mbale, maintains she has lobbied for various projects, which she has delivered and people at the grassroots are benefiting from.

She says she lobbied for Busitema Medical School, extension of piped water and electricity, seed secondary schools and construction of maternal units, among others.

“I have also promoted and funded women economic empowerment through saving groups,” she says.
She adds: “I have been giving out 100 scholarships every year to needy and bright children and I continue to do if re-elected.”

The incumbent adds in case she is cheated in the NRM primaries, she will have plan B.
“We have challenges in our party, especially during elections. In case they steal my votes. I will get plan B,” she says.

Ms Namasaba, another aspirant, says the incumbent should hang up her boots, saying the city needs a youth with new ideas. “I am going to invest in poverty eradication among women and youth,” she says.
Mr Robert Mudebo, a boda boda rider at Nkoma stage, says Ms Wanyoto could be a better candidate but she is not down to earth.

However, Ms Wanyoto says she is seeking the seat so that she can use the position to add value to the city.
“If you look at the poverty index as Mbale and Bugisu, we are at 34.4 per cent and to me, this is a serious issue. We need a leader, who can build an investment plan that is going to be exploited by young people,” she says.

Dubbed by her supporters as Big Sister, Ms Wanyoto says if elected, her first assignment will be to mobilise leaders in the community to forge a way forward for Mbale City because it’s the sitting room of Bugisu Sub-region.

“We need to have a strong base here that will trigger development in the entire Bugisu Sub-region,” she says.
Mr Steven Masike, a political analyst, who also works as the coordinator of Makerere University, Mbale Branch, however, says another challenge to Ms Wanyoto’s candidature is her closeness to President Museveni.

“Very close allies to President Museveni have always had issues in Bugisu. They are not liked by voters in Bugisu,” he says. Mr Masike adds that the President’s favourites such as late former Speaker of Parliament James Wapakhabulo and late James Mutende, the State minister for Works, were never accepted by the voters.

Mutende was husband of Ms Wanyoto. Ms Luwungule, also eyeing the same NRM flag, says she will advocate provision of clean water and piped water.
The Mbale District NRM chairperson, Mr Mahmood Masaba, says the party will support whoever will emerge as winner in the primaries on September 4.

Ms Nambuya, who is the FDC aspirant, says if elected, her focus will be to advocate the rights of women.
“I have laid down a programme of action to improve health, social services, agriculture and poverty alleviation,” she says.
Ms Asena, another aspirant in the race, says her efforts will be geared towards fighting teenage pregnancies and early marriages.

NRM aspirants
Ms Galiwango was born in 1967.She holds a Master’s Degree in Education Management and is a teacher by profession. She has been the woman MP for Mbale District for two terms.
Ms Lydia Wanyoto Mutende was born in 1974. She is lawyer by profession with a background in education and security. She is a member of the NRM Central Executive Committee as chairperson of the women’s league.

[email protected]