Youth Protest Disqualification of NRM Aspirant from National Youth Council Elections

There were chaotic scenes on Thursday at the National Youth Council Delegate Conference as rowdy National Resistance Movement –NRM youth called for the nomination of a disqualified aspirant. 

Earlier in the day, the Electoral Commission disqualified the NRM flag bearer Blaise Kamugisha from participating in the election on grounds of overage.  

According to the National Youth Council Act, youth is a person between the age of eighteen and thirty years. However, the commission basing on evidence from a section of youth-led by Chris Moses Mufakinanye said that Kamugisha is about the 30-year mark by ten months. 

However, Kamugisha, who is also the former national coordinator of defunct crime preventers showed up at London College of St Lawrence in Maya, Wakiso district where delegates from all over the country have converged to vote.

On seeing Kamugisha, the youth turned rowdy demanding that he is nominated by EC.

Vox Pop

//Cue in: “No Blaise no vote...

Cue out: “…no Blaise no Museveni.”// 

Kamugisha argued that he should be nominated on grounds that he is a legible voter. He argues that he was born in 1992 which makes him 28 years.

#//Cue in: “We shall vote...

Cue out...reach the final.”// 

However, evidence that was presented before the commission including Kamugisha’s passport and a National Identity Card indicated that he was born on January 6, 1990, which implies that he is 30 years and 10 months old which is far above the upper age limit for a person contesting in a youth election.   

There are also allegations that last week Kamugisha went to the National Identification and Registration Authority-NIRA and changed his date of birth.

Kamugisha was whisked away from the venue by the Field Force Unit-FFU. However, the determined NRM youth insisted that If their candidate is not nominated, they will not participate in the elections. 

Tolbert Musinguzi, the Wakiso returning officer insisted that Kamugisha will not be nominated. 

//Cue in: “it is a commission...

Cue out...with the process.”//  

So far four candidates have been nominated to contest. They include Samuel Suuna of Justice Forum, Abubaker Batanda of the Alliance for Nation Transformation-ANT, Moses Aritho, and Clinton Nasasira who are independents.