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Two former ministers bounce back as big guns lose seats in Busoga
Busoga- State Minister for Works, Mr Asuman Kiyingi, State Minister for Gender, Ms Rukia Isanga Nakadama, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Mr Wafula Oguttu, and the Vice President of the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) are some of the high profile names to have suffered defeat during Thursday’s parliamentary elections in Busoga region.
According to official results released on Saturday morning by Kamuli District Returning Officer, Mr Gracious Aryaija, Mr Asuman Kiyingi, who stood as an independent candidate after losing the NRM party primaries, lost to the NRM flagbearer in Bugabula South Constituency, Mr Morris Henry Kibalya.
Mr Kibalya, a former Guild President at Makerere University polled 24,588 votes against Minister Kiyingi’s 16,188 votes.
In the newly formed Kamuli Municipality Parliamentary seat, Ms Salaamu Musumba who was the flagbearer of the opposition FDC, fell at the hands of the ruling NRM’s flagbearer Hajat Rehema Watongola.
Ms Musumba polled 6,702 votes while Hajati Watongola polled 8,175 votes.
Other candidates in the race, Mr Daudi Kamaali Sabira, and Ms Proscovia Naikoba Kanakutanda, both independents, polled 1,704 and 495 votes respectively.
In Kamuli, former State Minister for Regional Cooperation, Mr Isanga Musumba, and Senior Presidential Advisor, Mr Moses Kizige bounced back, retaking the Buzaaya and Bubagula North parliamentary seats.
Mr Musumba recaptured the Buzaaya seat which he lost during the 2011 elections when he bagged 18,381 votes beating the incumbent, Mr Martin Muzaale who got 16,649 votes.
Others in the race, Mr Moses Muzusa, Willy Kirenda and Emma Wansalala (FDC) got 5,166, 1,481 and 1,416 votes respectively.
In Bugabula North, Mr Moses Kizige won with 9,984 votes, followed by Ms Anita Flavia Omondi who bagged 7,221 votes. The incumbent, Mr Andrew Allen came a distant fifth with 867 votes.
In Mayuge, State Minister for Gender, Ms Rukia Isanga Nakadama, lost the Woman MP seat which she had occupied for 10 years to an NRM-leaning Independent candidate, Ms Julie Mukoda Zaabwe.
According to results released by the District Returning Officer, Mr Paul Waneke, on Friday evening, the Minister bagged 54,061 votes while Ms Julie Mukoda Zaabwe got 54,860 votes.
Bunya South was won by Independent Candidate, Mr Robert Ntende, who got 18,789 votes against the incumbent, Iddi Isabirye’s 18,366 votes.
Former State Minister for Agriculture, Mr Aggrey Bagiire recaptured the Bunya West seat, which he had lost to Mr Vincent Bagiire during the 2011 elections, when he bagged 28,249 votes followed by FDC’s Nasser Mubonde who got 6,434 votes and Stanley Bayole who got 4,284 votes.
Independent Presidential Candidate, Mr John Patrick Amama Mbabazi’s Go Forward Movement also grabbed the Bunya East seat when its representative, Mr Woira Kyewalabye Majegere, who is also the incumbent, bagged 15,956 votes, defeating the NRM candidate, Mr James Kubeketerya who got 13,550 votes.
In Bugiri, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Mr Wafula Oguttu, lost the Bukooli Central seat to Mr Solomon Silwanyi (NRM).
According to results announced by Bugiri District Returning Officer, Ms Christine Pheona Kunihira, on Friday evening, Mr Wafula Oguttu got 22,165 votes, against Mr Silwanyi’s 28,296 votes. The other candidate in the race, Mr David Luwanga Mulengani got 2,312 votes.
However, Mr Wafula had earlier expressed misgivings about the outcome of the polls.
Addressing a press conference at his home in Sanika village in Nankoma Sub-county on Thursday, Mr Oguttu claimed that ballot boxes that were delivered to polling stations in Buliidha and Buwunga had already been opened and that some Presiding Officers were known members of the ruling NRM.
He also alleged that some Electoral Commission (EC) officials were conniving with the ruling NRM to rig the polls, allegations which Ms Kunihira denied.
Elsewhere in Bugiri, the NRM’s Agnes Taak Wejuli won the Women’s seat with 41,656 votes followed by FDC’s Eunice Namatende, who got 39,837.
In Bugweri County, the incumbent, FDC’s Abdu Katuntu, recaptured his seat, beating the NRM candidate, Mr Daniel Ibaale, with a 6 vote margin. Mr Katuntu got 23,606 votes while Mr Ibaale got 23,600 votes.
By Opio Sam Caleb, Asuman Musobya & Yazid Yolisigira
