DP candidate in Busia race offered government job
Election. The DP candidate in the race for the Busia LC5 seat, Mr Deo Njoki Hasubi (centre), with DP party president Nobert Mao after his nomination on November 7, 2018. PHOTO BY DAVID AWORI
What you need to know:
- Ruling. The seat fell vacant in May after the Court of Appeal in Mbale District threw out Mr Ouma Adea on grounds that had been convicted of corruption in 2013.
- In the race. Others cleared to contest include Mr Paul Boniface Oguttu, the NRM flag bearer, and Mr Chrispus Bwire, Mr Tony Ojambo and Mr Geoffrey Wandera, all Independent candidates.
BUSIA. The Democratic Party (DP) candidate in the forthcoming by-election for the Busia District LC5 seat, Mr Deo Njoki Hasubi, is on the verge of quitting the race after being appointed a member of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC).
Mr Hasubi, the Opposition sole candidate in the race, was nominated by the Electoral Commission (EC) last week.
But in a November 10 letter addressed to the DP secretary general, he said if approved by Parliament, he will consider serving the country as a member of UHRC.
According to the letter, Mr Njoki said the UHRC nomination was made way back before the programme for the Busia by-election had been announced.
“The timing for the appointment, after the nominations closed on November 7, 2018, did not leave opportunity for the parties that sponsored and supported my candidature to nominate an alternative candidate. It was outside my control,” the letter reads in part.
However, his supporters have voiced mixed reactions about his pending decision to pull out of race. Mr Bosco Bwire, a boda boda rider in Busia Town, said Mr Njoki will have betrayed the people of Busia should he choose to quit the race.
“If he knew that he was not fully interested, he would not have contested in the first place but that is the problem with our people; they look for survival in everything,” he said.
Ms Jane Akello, an FDC supporter, said pulling out will be equivalent to selling the district to NRM.
Mr Emmanuel Mango, who was the FDC contender but was urged to pull out in favour of Mr Njoki, also said his party connived with NRM leadership in the district and sold the seat.
But Mr Njoki said he has not pulled out of the race but only communicated to the party about the new appointment.
“The letter does not say I have pulled out of the race as many are speculating. I only communicated to the party about the appointment, which came after I had been nominated. We will soon sit as a party and discuss it,” he said.
Mr Hassan Opio, the district FDC chairperson, said their candidate has no intentions of pulling out of the race. “We are going to launch our campaigns on Saturday,” he said.
The DP president, Mr Nobert Mao, could not be reached for comment by press time. However, during nomination, Mr Mao urged the electorate to vote for Mr Njoki, saying he has potential to propel the district to greater heights.
