Incumbent LCV Chairpersons Bounce Back in Kabarole, Bunyangabu

Incumbent chairpersons of Bunyangabu and Kabarole districts have been declared winners of their respective races.  

In Kabarole district, the National Resistance Movement – NRM candidate Richard Rwabuhinga defeated his four opponents with a huge margin. According to the Returning Officer, Prossy Banura, Rwabuhinga polled 32,709 votes and was followed by John Businge with 2,988. 

Businge contested against Rwabuhinga during the NRM party primaries but was defeated and he ran as an independent.  

The other candidates that Rwabuhinga defeated in the Wednesday general elections are Ronnie Ruhundwa of Alliance for National Transformation – ANT who got 1,433 votes, Justine Komuhangi of Forum for Democratic Change – FDC who garnered 1,132 and independent Edward Asiimwe who got only 543 votes.  

Rwabuhinga is now going to serve his third consecutive term. In his manifesto, he boasts of improving on the road network in the district and ensuring better schools and health facilities and says he will maintain the standard.  

In Bunyangabu district, Mugarama, also an NRM candidate got 30,800 votes and defeated his only opponent Innocent Kanyoro who garnered 5,222. Though re-elected, Mugarama’s reign in the three-year-old district has not been a smooth one.

On several occasions, he clashed with other leaders like the incumbent Bunyangabu county MP and Defense Minister, Adolf Mwesige, who lost to Davis Kamukama during NRM primaries and he did not run in the general elections. At some point, Mwesige invited all leaders in the district to the commissioning of Katugunda polytechnic in Kabonero Sub County but left out Mugarama.  

Out of anger, Mugarama quickly wrote to Chrysostom Muyingo, the Minister of Higher Education, stopping him from turning up to commission the polytechnic, saying, President Kaguta Museveni had already been invited for the same. The institute has since never been commissioned.   

When COVID-19 outbreak was reported in the country, in March, Museveni directed that all government vehicles are handed over to the respective district Covid-19 task forces.  

However, Mugarama did not welcome the idea and decided to stay with his office double cabin. This did not go down well with the then Resident District Commissioner – RDC Jane Asiimwe Muhindo who decided to take the vehicle forcefully from him. At the height of the disagreement, Mugarama allegedly assaulted Muhindo and the matter was taken to court.  

But he maintains that he has a better plan for Bunyangabu because he knows all the challenges in the district like poor roads and bridges and he is going to work on them during this term.  

Meanwhile in Kyenjojo, Independent candidate Gilbert Rubaihayo has defeated the incumbent NRM candidate, William Kaija. According to the results declared by the Kyenjojo district Returning Officer, Daniel Baguma, Rubaihayo garnered 28,717 votes while Kaija got 20,777 votes. Kaija had won the NRM primaries unopposed.

The other independents in the race were Bright John who polled 16,825, George Musabe who got 1,834, Rodgers Kasami with 1,021 votes and Gerald Rujumba who garnered only 936 votes.

It should be remembered that despite President-elect Museveni, scoring 85 per cent the Kyenjojo vote in the Jan 14 election, the district has been grappling with a number of challenges including scarcity of clean water sources and bad roads characterized by potholes and gullies. 

In his manifesto, Rubaihayo promised to solve the challenges by using local revenue and central government funds, something that attracted thousands to his side. Kaija now joins the group of other Kyenjojo incumbents who have lost their seats. They include Spellanza Baguma, the current Kyenjojo Woman Member of Parliament who lost to Faith Kunihira. 

In Mwenge South constituency, incumbent Aston Kajara lost to Donald Katalihwa during NRM primaries and he did not contest in the general elections.  

 

For Ntoroko, the NRM candidate William Kasoro defeated two opponents to win a seat that his brother, Timothy Kyamwanya, held before passing on last year. When Kyamanywa died, his deputy, Ben Muthahinga took over the office but he did not contest in the general election.  

This left Kasoro with an upper hand that has seen him garner 8,762 votes, representing 51.6 per cent of the total votes cast.   Kasoro says he will lobby for more funding from the central government to improve service delivery in schools and health facilities.