According to the Electoral Commission roadmap, Wednesday, January 27 is the polling date for councillors representing Persons with Disabilities, Older Persons, Youths and Workers at District Councils. But there is little competition because many candidates are unopposed, and opposition parties failed to field candidates.
The National Resistance Movement party is enjoying a tide in its favour as Special Interest Groups finalise arrangements to vote for representatives in Luwero District. Several candidates have sailed through the race unopposed while other Councillor seats are contested by National Resistance Movement candidates, giving the party another chance to recapture the Luwero district council.
According to the Electoral Commission roadmap, Wednesday, January 27 is the polling date for councillors representing Persons with Disabilities, Older Persons,
Youths and Workers at District Councils. But there is little competition because many candidates are unopposed, and opposition parties failed to field candidates.
The unopposed councillors in Luwero include Issa Kalalike, a representative for
Male Youths, Joseph Serugo, for the Male older Persons, Rehema Kaaya, for the female older Persons and Ssuuna Mulema, the Male district councillor.
Nathan Nabaasa, the Luwero District Returning Officer says
that the elections are expected between Deborah Nalubega, an NRM leaning independent candidate and Nusurah Nanyanzi, the NRM candidate for the PWD district Councillor's seat. Others
are Amina Hassan (NRM) and Fatumah Nakalyango, who are contesting for the Female Youths Councillor's position.
Jamil Jjuuko, another NRM candidate will faceoff with Amos Nayepe, an NRM leaning independent candidate for the male worker's slot while Christine Nakamanya (NRM) is being challenged by Flavia Namatovu.
If NRM wins all the SIGs elections tomorrow, it will record a jump
from five to 12 Councillors seats at the district council to overtake NUP which got 11 Councillors in general council elections. Nine others are will be Independent
candidates majority of who are NRM leaning and three already elected on the FDC ticket.
David Kamugisha, the Luwero District NRM Registrar says that the party
candidates dominate the races because other political parties didn’t
participate in lower SIGs elections to enable them field candidates at higher
positions. Kamugisha brags that NRM is also strong among the SIGs
making it difficult for any other candidates to be voted even if he or she is
nominated.
But Robert Sserwanga, a PWD in Luwero town says that the guidelines
for elections for special Interest Groups should be revised to promote inclusivity of all persons
in the categories. Sserwanga explains that the PWD elections have been
dominated by a few people who don’t share news about elections.
Sserwanga want the laws amended so that all PWDs are free to
converge and vote for all leaders without electoral colleges.
//Cue in; “Abantu abaliko…
Cue out…okulonda.”//
Bernard Ssemakula, the Chairperson of Luwero District Persons
with Disabilities Committee says that it's unfair for a few delegates to vote on
behalf of others whom they don’t even consult before making decisions. Ssemakula adds that the elections can easily be manipulated
by incumbents who have resources to bribe the delegates to vote them.
Erustus Kibirango, the newly elected LCV Chairperson of
Luwero district says that the National Unity Platform failed to field candidates
because it was still taking root by the time youths elections started from
village councils. Kibirango added that even the few who were identified feared
to contest on the seats citing monetization of the electoral process.
Kibirango adds that the framers of the law never envisaged that the Electoral colleges could be manipulated, adding that it's now time to
revise the guidelines for everyone to benefit in the representation. NRM has also dominated all races for Special Intrest Groups in Nakasongola and
Nakaseke with no single opposition candidate fielded there.
Recently, Israel Mayengo the Former Buganda Minister who
contested and lost in the elections for the Member of Parliament seat for older persons in the central region told URN that elections were a sham and an NRM’s
party affair where no other candidate can win.
“There is no way that Elder
Committees from the entire region can have members of one party and if that happens
you must accept there is a fraud” Mayengo said.
