Bubulo West goes to polls today

By Paul Watala

President Yoweri Museveni has urged the voters in Bubulo West to elect Rose Mutonyi, the NRM flag-bearer in the byelection, saying they will not regret.

The President, who is also NRM chairperson, was  campaigning in the constituency for the party’s candidate.

The seat fell vacant after the former MP, Tony Nsubuga Kipoi, was dropped after missing 21 consecutive parliamentary sittings. He was the second MP to lose a seat for missing sittings.

The other is Gen. David Sejusa aka Tinyefuza. Both of them are currently fugitives outside the country. Kipoi is reportedly under detention in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is wanted in Uganda for treason.

The other candidates in the race include Ahamadah Wakhweya (FDC), Paul Butita (DP), Joseph Masolo (Independent) and Emma Muyikirwa (Independent). Bubulo West has 135 polling stations with over 60,000 voters. Voting takes place today.

Museveni held rallies at the Butiru sub-county headquarters and Manafwa town council where he addressed NRM supporters and asked them to vote for Mutonyi.

“Rose Mutonyi is a very good woman whom I have known from the time she was a teacher and I even gave her work as RDC and Ambassador which she performed perfectly. She is a woman who will help to fight the people who steal NAADs money that I send to your district,” Museveni said.

“All these days you have been orphans without a member of parliament representing you. Apart from the Woman MP for Manafwa who I always see struggling to lobby for services for you. Please send me Mutonyi and you will not regret,” Museveni said.

Museveni also hailed the party members who competed against Mutonyi in the primaries for accepting defeat and not contesting as independents.

“You should not vote for FDC because they are not good people. They tell lies and cause confusion in Kampala,” Museveni said.

Museveni also described Kipoi as a “stupid mad man” who attempted to overthrow his government using the gun.

“Kipoi forgot that we are the master of guns. He thought that he would overthrow my government using the guns. In a few days, we arrested the stupid boy, but because of our confused courts, they granted him bail and he fled to Congo where he is hiding,” Museveni said.

Museveni also summoned the Manafwa NAADS coordinator to explain to the residents how they have been spending the sh2.3b meant for the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS). But the coordinator was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Manafwa chief administrative officer Martin Gacan attempted to step in and answer the President’s question. The President, not satisfied by the explanations, ordered him to resume his seat.

“How can you receive sh2.3b a year and only buy 20,000 coffee seedlings? You cannot talk of capacity building when people want coffee seedlings. Go back and sit but I will come back for you,” Museveni said.