Nampijja eyes Kikungwe’s seat

Oct 15, 2010

THE battle line for Kyadondo South Constituency is already drawn and the participants are busy assembling weapons for the race.

By John Semakula and Kizito Musoke

THE battle line for Kyadondo South Constituency is already drawn and the participants are busy assembling weapons for the race.

Political analysts say the fierce battle will be between the incumbent MP, Issa Kikungwe and Rubaga South MP Suzan Nampijja Lukyamuzi.

Although Nampiijja has not yet stated that she will stand in Kyadondo South, Saturday Vision can reliably disclose that it is her next step.

Sources close to the family disclosed that she was leaving Rubaga South for her father, Ken Lukyamuzi.

Nampiijja joined Parliament in 2006 after Lukyamuzi was blocked from contesting by then IGG, Faith Mwondha, over undeclared wealth.

Lukyamuzi fronted Nampiijja and backed her to victory.

When the Supreme Court cleared Lukyamuzi of the IGG’s accusations, he was declared free to stand again.

However, there was a lot of uncertainty as Nampiijja still showed interest in the seat. Her decision to shift to Kyadondo South ends speculation.

But Kikungwe compared Nampijja’s move to a dream that never comes true. “The people of Kyadondo South can not let me leave them. I am an asset in the masses,” Kikungwe said.

Some of the reasons why people love him include letting people use his Mercedes Benz for people to use for their parties. A member of the constituency only buys fuel and uses the Benz for a wedding or an introduction. Kikungwe also has a van, which transports the dead for burial, free of charge.

He blocked the district officials from imposing taxes on vendors. “The law is clear: It says that you cannot reap from where you have not sown. If you want to collect taxes, you have to construct a market for the vendors,” Kikungwe said. “That is why I stopped the street vendors from paying taxes.”

Boda boda cyclists also don’t pay the mandatory sh20,000 monthly. He has also fought property tax. “I blocked the collection of this tax because it was unfairly imposed,” he said.

Kikungwe has a SACCO in the constituency that has over 3,000 subscribers, who are given processing machines and they pay back in installments. His plan is to create over 20,000 jobs in the next seven years. Because of such initiatives, he has become a dear to the masses in the constituency.

Kikungwe also has a list of churches and mosques he has assisted using the constituency development fund.

Kikungwe is the founder of Zana Boxing Club and the chairman of Buganda Amateur Boxing Association. He is also the national treasurer of the Democratic Party (DP).

Sam Lubega’s DP faction has fronted Deus Kyeyune, the director of St. Ngondwe schools in Seguku.

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party is fronting Moses Zirabamuzaale a student of entrepreneurship at Makerere University.

The National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has fronted Frank Kyazze, a former Cranes footballer and a prominent businessman.

The seat was formerly held by NRM’s Steven Kavuma before Kikungwe grabbed it from him in 2001.

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