Over 20
incumbent Members of Parliament from the Elgon and Bukedi sub-regions lost
their seats in the just concluded elections. Key among those who lost the
election is Julius Maganda, the East African Affairs State Minister and Samia
Bugwe County South MP. Maganda lost to Godfrey Were Wandera, an independent who
garnered 8,098 against 7,811 votes polled by the incumbent.
The Busia
District Woman MP, Jane Nabulindo also the seat to the National Resistance
Movement-NRM candidate, Helen Auma who scored 30,729 against 24819 votes
managed by the incumbent. In Bugisu sub-region, 10 of the 17 Members of
Parliament lost their seats. They are Vincent Woboya, the Budadiri East MP Vincent
Woboya who garnered 12,152 against 15776 votes polled by his FDC rival, Isaiah Johnny
Sasaga who got 15776 votes.
In Bulambuli
District, the incumbent Woman MP Sarah Namboozo Wekomba lost to the former
Energy Minister, Irene Muloni who got 28,975 votes against 19,696 votes polled
by her rival. Former NTV Journalist, Agnes Nandutu beat Bududa District Woman
MP Justine Khainza who got 17770 votes against Nandutu’s 27,445 votes.
In
Lutestshe County in Bududa district, the incumbent, Godfrey Watenga who ran as
an independent lost the seat to NRM’s Isaac Modoi who garnered 9861 votes
against his 9148 votes. Bulambuli County MP, Alex Burundo lost to Isaac Katenya who contested as an
Independent after losing the NRM flag to Burundo.
In Kapchorwa District, the
Incumbent Woman MP, Rukia Chikamondo lost the seat to Philis Chemtui, the NRM
candidate who scored 18060 votes against Chikamondo’s 8535 votes. In Butaleja district, all incumbents lost their seats to new people. James
Waluswaka, the incumbent Bunyole West MP garnered 11550 votes and effectively
lost to NRM’s and East FM manager, Geoffrey Mutiwa who got 16880 votes.
The
Woman MP, Agatha Hamba also lost the seat to her predecessor, Florence Andilu
Nebanda while the Bunyole East MP, Moses Nagomu lost to the former DP strongman
and NRM’s Yusuf Mutembuli. Kenneth
Soyeko, the incumbent Tingey County MP lost to Twala Fadil from the ruling NRM.
Annet Nyakecho, the Tororo North County lost to FDC’s Geoffrey Ekanya while Polycarp
Ogwari, an independent beat the Agule County MP, Francis Mukula of NRM. Fred Mudokoy of Butebo County lost to Dr. Patrick Mutono.
The incumbent Kween
district Woman MP, Lydia Chekwel lost to Rose Emmy Cherukut, the former
Kapchorwa Resident District Commissioner. David
Mangeni, a resident of Busia district attributed the failure of incumbents to
their support for the scrapping of the presidential age limit.
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Abasa Wetaaka, the National Unity Platform Coordinator for Bugisu Sub-region,
who is also contesting for the Mbale City Mayoral Seat, told Uganda Radio Network
that some of the incumbents who lost their seats lost touch with the people on
ground.
“They lost
touch with the people but they also underperformed in parliament and the age
limit removal also affected some of them like Vincent Weboya and Alex Burundo,
for people like Sara Wekomba, she went through in the previous election just
because of a family wrangle since Iren Muloni and Wekomba are from the same
family but this time around these issues were sorted. That is why Muloni beat
Wekomba,” he told URN.
Wilson Wamanga from Bukalasi said their legislators like Godfrey Watenga and
Justine Khainza have not fulfilled the pledges they made to voters like the
issue of torture by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers whenever they access Mt.
Elgon National Park.
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John Toolo, a resident of Bushiyi Sub-county, says they have had challenges in
Bushiyi with the most recent when landslides wreaked havoc in their sub county
destroying crops and displacing some of them. He, however, says none of the
leaders came out to address their issues.
