Prime
Busongora South goes to polls today
Busongora by election-candidates Mbaju Jackson Kathika (NUP), Ms Doreen Izagiire (Ind), FDC's Aloysius Baguma Kighema and DP's Ms Bernadette Businge.
What you need to know:
- Busongora South constituency has a total of 10 sub-counties, 47 parishes, 100 polling stations and 50,292 voters.
Voters in Busongora South will Thursday vote for a Member of Parliament in a hotly contested by-election that has attracted six candidates.
The candidates include Jackson Mbaju of National Unity Platform (NUP); Aloysius Baguma Kighema of Forum for Democratic Change (FDC); Bernadette Businge of the Democratic Party, and NRM’s Gideon Mujungu Thembo.
Others are Doreen Izagiire and David Mulindwa Isimbwa, both Independent.
The seventh candidate, Mr Juma Munezero, an Independent, on Tuesday pulled out of the race and rallied behind NRM’s Thembo.
The Electoral Commission (EC) said it was ready to deliver a free and fair election, adding that voting materials had been delivered to the district.
“We received ballot papers and other voting materials to use from EC and we have them in our stores.
They were received in the presence of all candidates and their agents,” the Kasese District Returning Officer, Mr Ismail Takih Atwijukire, told the Daily Monitor in an interview yesterday.
He said the EC staff would deliver materials at the 100 polling stations.
“Everyone has been briefed and all candidates have been given voters’ registers to verify their voters,” he said.
Busongora South constituency has a total of 10 sub-counties, 47 parishes, 100 polling stations and 50,292 voters.
Meanwhile, politicians from various political parties had camped for a week at the county to drum up support for their candidates.
FDC party president Patrick Oboi Amuriat, Col Kizza Besigye, and the Buhweju County MP, Mr Francis Mwijuke, were present to give Kighema’s campaigns a boost.
“Our teams are ready to guard our votes,” said Mr Amuriat.
He urged voters to keep close to the polling stations until counting is done to check irregularities.
Mr Kighema said although the campaign was successful, he is worried about the heavy security deployment, which may intimidate voters.
The NRM camp was led by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Vice President Jessica Alupo, NRM Secretary General Richard Todwong, ICT and Information minister Chris Baryomunsi and Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the party communications officer.
Ms Alupo appealed to the voters to vote for the NRM candidate, adding that government would address all their challenges that include fencing Queen Elizabeth National park and renovation of Karusandara Seed School.
The NUP party camp was led by the party Secretary General, Mr Lewis Rubongoya, and former Kasese Woman MP Winnie Kiiza who assured NUP supporters of victory.
