Janet Nassolo, a resident of Kibisi parish told Uganda Radio Network that many people took this year’s election as a fashion and failed to evaluate the candidates for the various leadership positions.
A section of
voters in areas that were merged with Masaka Municipality to facilitate its
elevation to a city status are regretting the choices of leaders they elected
in the just concluded elections.
The elevation
of the municipality into a city required the expansion of its boundaries into
the neighboring Kalungu and Lwengo districts, where some parishes were annexed
to the new city administration.
Now, a section of voters in Kibisi, Kasanje and Kirowooza
parishes that were previously part of Kalungu district are regretting that they
did not make informed choices while electing their leaders.
Janet Nassolo, a
resident of Kibisi parish told Uganda Radio Network that many people took this
year’s election as a fashion and failed to evaluate the candidates for the
various leadership positions.
She explains that candidates also took advantage of the people’s
ignorance with the processes in the urban councils to manipulate them to solely
vote for symbols without analyzing the potential of the candidates.
Luganda Audio
//Cue in: “Kibisi bagitta ku
city….
Cue out; ….tebalisigadde bbali.”//
Nassolo is afraid that their areas may fail to attract the much desired social
services and public infrastructure to match other city areas due to the quality
of leaders especially those sent to the local councils. She argues that they
largely elected inexperienced leaders who many easily be outcompeted during
deliberations.
She partly blames the problem to lack of civic sanitization
programs that would enlighten voters about the significance of their decisions
ahead of the general election.
//Cue in: “Kati kigezeeza….
Cue out; …..tetulina
kyetwategedde.”//
Rosette Nassimbwa and Joseph Mawanda, both residents of Kibisi Parish, which
was recently annexed to Nyendo-Mukungwe city division in Masaka says some of
the elected councilors are none residents and may not appreciate the real
challenges of the community.
According to Mawanda, many of the voters in the areas voted
out of excitement without reflecting on the choice of the candidates. They decried
the virtual campaigns in this year’s elections, saying it denied them a change
to interact with the candidates.
//Cue in: “Tukooye okusindika …..
Cue out; …..tujja kutereera,”//
But Florence Namayanja, the incoming Masaka City Mayor and Greater Masaka National
Unity Platform-NUP Regional Coordinator, says the party won the majority seats
in the area has asked the voters to be confident that their concerns will be
addressed by the new leadership.
According to Namayanja, they will develop an
all-inclusive development master plan that will holistically serve the
interests of all communities regardless of where they are located and their
statuses.
