The Electoral Commission (EC) concluded elections for representatives of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Parliament on Monday. 

The seat for the national female PWDs MP was taken by NRM’s Laura Kanushu, who beat two independents, Agnes Nasirumbi and Safi a Nalule, the incumbent.

Kanushu bagged 538 votes against Nasirumbi’s 10 and Nalule’s 175 votes.

Fourteen candidates vied for the four seats to represent the PWDs in the 11th Parliament.

Two incumbents; one independent and one NRM fl ag-bearer, bounced back. Hellen Grace Asamo (independent) garnered 594 votes, while Alex Ndeezi (NRM) got 519 votes.

The new entrants are NRM’s Joyce Acan, who got 458 votes, while Bumali Mpindi (independent) got 413 votes.

The elections were held at the Civil Service College of Uganda in Jinja on Monday and the team from EC was headed by the EC’s Kiira region returning officer, Emmanuel Masiko, who was accompanied by Stuart Tamale, the EC’s election officer in charge of PWDs’ elections.

Delegates were drawn from all the 146 districts of Uganda; five delegates from each district cast their votes by secret ballot.

The incumbents who lost in the PWDs elections included Safi a Nalule and Hood Katuramu (western).

Acan, who once worked at KCCA, said she gave out about 500 scholarships for PWDs.

She added that she would lobby the Government for assistive devices to PWDs since there is no direct budget to buy the devices.

Acan said she will fight to see that grants for PWDs from the Government are increased to improve their welfare in various regions in the country.

Asamo promised to fight for PWDs’ accessibility to buildings, adding that many buildings are constructed without including accessibility for PWDs.

Asamo added that she will ensure that the physical infrastructure policy for PWDs is implemented.

Asamo is remembered for tabling a motion, during the NRM retreat at Kyankwanzi, for NRM to once again have President Yoweri Museveni unopposed as the party fl ag-bearer in the 2021 general elections and was indeed seconded by fellow NRM members.  

President Museveni carried the NRM fl ag into the presidential elections, in which he defeated 10 opponents with over 58% of the vote in the election held last week.

Mpindi said he has educated children with disabilities and children of parents with disabilities, adding that he will continue doing so since he has been entrusted as MP.

He added that he started sports for PWDs two years ago and some PWD sportsmen have had a chance to participate in the Paralympics.

The Electoral Commission chairperson, Simon Byabakama, said the election of the National Female Older Person will be held on January 21-22, 2021 at Islamic University in Uganda, Kabojja campus in Kampala.

Tibasiimwa, the National Council for Older Persons chairperson, who initiated the idea of introducing a Parliament slot for the elderly, wants to be the pioneer of his idea.

“I want to improve the welfare of the older persons,” he said.