By Henry Wanume
As the political season gears into it’s climax, various political groups will be relishing the chance to maximise their returns from the electoral process which is already in high gear.
Unlike on the previous four occasions when the real contest has been between Besigye’s Forum for Democratic Change and the incumbent Museveni’s NRM, 2021 is largely expected to be between the former and Bobi Wine’s NUP.
By far, NUP remains the most organised opposition having managed to erect candidates in more parliamentary Constituencies than their opposition counterparts.
For Busoga in particular, the young political group have managed representation in all parliamentary positions which deserved credit.
Even then though, the ruling party looks likely to outshine them as it looks more likely they will win more seats in the next Parliament.
There are however some specific Constituencies where Kyagulanyi’s party looks strong and more likely to come out on top. These include the following;
Jinja City Woman MP.
In awarding their flag to the simple but strategic Manjeri Kyebakutiika, NUP hit a jackpot.
Throughout the candidates selection process, other condensers had been kept in panic praying that someone else other than her gets the endorsement.
A local born and raised, Kyebakutiika has worked among the people of Jinja as a simple trader. This has made her a darling among the majority second and third class electorates.
Popularly known as ” Manjeri omutembeeyi” the soft spoken Bobi Wine’s girl will certainly give NRM Babirye the run for her money.
Jinja West
In Waiswa Alex Mufumbiro, NUP have a real fighter. He is a politically experienced chap who has been a leaders since his University days.
A former Uganda Christian University Guild President and a member of the opposition FDC back then, Waiswa went on to become one of the topmost leaders of the Democratic party, the party he joined after ditching FDC.
By the time of joining NUP, he had risen to become the Deputy Spokesperson of Moa’s party.
In Jinja, he has tried becoming a member of Parliament since 2011. As such, many strongly this could be his chance at last.
Mufumbiro’s chances will however be challenged by an equally strong FDC’s Dr Batuwa Timothy Lusaka.
At the start of the contest, it looked likely that the biggest challenge would be between Balyeeku and his 2016 closest challenger Paul Kawanguzi who later lost the FDC ticket to Batuwa.
The contraversial party primaries had almost brought Kawanguzi as an independent before he mutually agreed to back his rival.
As such a more solidified FDC becomes a very big stumbling block to Mufumbiro ahead of 2021.
Bugweri Woman MP
Bobi Wine’s blue eyes girl Mercy Walukamba is the one flying the NUP flag in Bugweri.
A former staunch NRM member,Walukamba had increasingly got frustrated after fraudulently osing in the party primaries on two occasions in 2016 and 2017.
She first attempted to join parliamenbun 2016 and then in 2017 after the death of the then incumbent Iganga Woman MP.
With the partitioning of the district into two,Walukamba chose to run in the new Bugweeri district under the NUP flag.
A very convincing mobiliser,the national exposure given to her by Bobi Wine to whom she is a very trusted aide will no doubt work towards propelling her to the eleventh Parliament.
Bukooli North
In Bukooli North Bugiri District, NUP have Ayagalachi Jamali Mukuve Dyadyadya.
The youthful MP hopeful has passed through fire to finally appear on the ballot.
A former FDC’s Eunice Namatende Personal Assistant, Mukuve’s parliamentary dream dates long before the birth of his current party – NUP.
It’s revealed that he had been rejected by FDC when he asked them for the flag for Bukool North where nobody had shown interest.
This annoyed the Kampala international University Business graduate who chose to cut ties with Besigye’s party for good.
In NUP, he served with his whole faith, becoming the youth coordinator for the subregion in the process.
Even with all that sacrifice, Jamal was bypassed by Walukamba’s Election management commission to give the flag to someone else. He only got reconsidered after appealing the EMC decision on grounds that his rival had strong ties with NRM’s Muhoozi Project.
With incumbent MP Kyaawa Mugoya Gaster out of the race, Jamal remains a strong contender in the race along with former area MP Baka Mugabi.
Bugiri Municipality
Asuman Basalirwa remains technically the NUP candidate in Bugiri by virtue of an alliance between his JEEMA party and NUP.
Arguably one of the best legislators in the Subregion, it still looks like it will cost NRM’s John Francis Okecho a fortune to dislodge him.
Besides Bobi Wine’s scary popularity in the Constituency where he spent over 2 months in 2018 campaigning for Basalirwa, the numeric strength of moslems in the small Municipality is a factor that will worry the NRM camp for now.
Basalirwa however remains challenged by the presence of two other Moslem candidates in Amuza Evuga and Nakendo Ibrahim who could tear the Moslem vote to give Okecho a badly desired advantage.
The equally popular FDC has a candidate in Wafula Steven which could further split the opposition vote to benefit Okecho.
Bukooli Central
Walukamba’s EMC decision to entrust youthful Ntambi Muweewe could finally pay off.
The youthful politician’s charisma and calculative political mobilisation efforts have placed him above others challenging the incumbent Solomon Silwanyi.
With practically little to show for his five years of representation, Silwanyi will soon realise that he is up against a real lion.
Kamuli Municipality
In Kamuli, NUP’s Gen. Bigirwa Moses needs no introduction.
A former strong DP member, the general from the East swiftly foresaw a new era under the then Kyadondo aspiring MP for who he campaigned in 2017.
As a member of the Bobi Wine advance guard in the 2018 Basalirwa election team, Bigirwa managed to establish himself among the then People Power high command members.
As a testimony to that, he has been arrested a record 38 times since teaming up with Bobi Wine.
In Kamuli, he is credited for fighting for the people’s common causes which has in the process established him as a people’s choice.
His bid will further be aided by the presence of two very strong NRM candidates in flag winner Masitula Namatovu and incumbent Hajjati Rehema Watongola. This is likely to split the NRM vote to merit that battle hardened Bobi Wine’s man with a slot in the 11th Parliament.
Buzaaya
Buzaaya is currently represented by State Minister for Housing and Urban Planning.
22 year old Taliyiwula Sharon is the NUP flag bearer in the race. Odds are very high that the youthful medic could kick the increasingly unpopular Minister who has represented the area since 1996 but with nothing to show in terms of development.
The situation was worsened by his support for the contravasial constitutional amendment on presidential age limit despite voters asking him against it.
That explains why he was humiliatingly defeated in the recently held party primaries with 5000 votes behind eventual winner Martin Muzaale’s 38000.
Busiki South.
Here, Bobi Wine has an Ambassador in Dabada Yusuf.
Yusuf has reportedly been targeted by State House agents for recruitment into the ruling establishment but he has stuck to his guns.
A popular sports scribe at Nabeeta’s NBS Radio in Jinja City, Dabada has over the years emerged as one of the most popular politicians in his native Namutumba district.
He is also a councillor at Namutumba district though as an independent.
As things stand now, 2021 could see the pencil thin NbS scribe join the August house , dumping the mic at NBS in the process.
Iganga Municipality
The bitter divisions in the ruling party have given NUP’s Francis Muganga a surprise age in the race to replace two term area MP Mugema Panadol.
It ought to be noted that Panadol lost the NRM primaries to Toto but instead chose to come independent.
With FDC’s Nasser Mudiobole getting seemingly demotivated in the pecking order, Muganga remains a real force to reckon with in next year’s elections.
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