NRM’s Ochieng wins Buvuma district chairperson seat

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Matia Nixon Ochieng of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) has been declared winner of the Buvuma district LC5 election.

District returning officer Edmund Misango announced the poll results on Friday.

Ochieng won with 7,810 votes while his closest challenger Allan Mugisha Turyahikayo, an NRM-leaning independent candidate, got 5,774 votes.

Daniel Gad Onyango Opondo of the National Unity Platform (NUP) was third with 4,937 votes, while independent Andrew Kiberu managed 701 votes. 

Of the 19,679 votes cast, 457 were invalid and 69 spoilt, according to returning officer Misango.

Ochieng will succeed Adrian Ddungu Wasswa as the district chairperson.

A former chairperson of Nairambi sub-county, Ochieng thanked his supporters for backing him and said he is cognizant of the challenges of the islanders.

“The people of Buvuma are crying foul following the abject poverty because the lake, which used to be our main employer, is no longer doing the needful. I am going to work in collaboration with our parliamentarians and follow up on the one billion shillings which was promised by President Museveni for the fishing folks to each of the island districts,” he said.

The LC5 chairperson-elect also said he would ensure that the government pays the people who surrendered their land for palm oil growing. He said the President is aware of this, having promised to have it settled in the near future.

“I am glad that President Museveni promised to upgrade our Buvuma Health Centre IV to a hospital status, and in the education department, we have received over four seed schools and hope to receive more," said Ochieng.

"My role now as the district chairperson is to make sure that I also build more primary schools and improve the status of those already in place."