Mafabi wins eastern youth MP seat
Mar 25, 2016
He thanked the youth for entrusting him adding that his win serves to disprove the outcome of the NRM primaries that were held at Namboole in October last year where his rival (Okware) was announced winner.
By Charles Kakamwa and Lawrence Okwakol
Jinja - 25-year-old Ishma Mafabi an Independent candidate has won the eastern region youth MP seat after trouncing five opponents in a hotly contested race.
In the exercise conducted at the YMCA conference center in Jinja town, Mafabi garnered 752 votes beating his closest rival Dorothy Okware the National Resistance Movement (NRM) who got 428 votes.
Mastula Namatovu another independent candidate from Kamuli district got 201 votes while Forum for Democratic Change (FDC's) Idi Ouma Wazemba managed to get only 3 votes.
Others were Brian Amonya who got 10 votes and Romeo Mabandha from Jinja who got 2 votes. Mafabi was declared winner by the Busoga region elections officer Apollo Musinguzi who headed the exercise, at about 10:00am on Friday sending his supporters into jubilations.
Runners up in the polls could not be reached for a comment as they disappeared from the tally centre immediately the results were announced.
Addressing journalists after his victory, Mafabi thanked the youth for entrusting him adding that his win serves to disprove the outcome of the NRM primaries that were held at Namboole in October last year where his rival (Okware) was announced winner.
Mafabi contested results of the primaries citing malpractices and decided to contest as an independent candidate.
On February 28, 2016 when other regions of the country elected their youth MPs, the exercise in eastern was stopped following a High Court injunction. The injunction came after a petition filed by Mafabi, protesting his disqualification from participation in the exercise on grounds that his name did not appear on the youth register.
Later court ruled that Mafabi was an eligible voter and it consequently ordered the electoral commission to include him on the national youth register and allow him to contest in the youth MP polls.
During the elections, youth turned rowdy and nearly beat up the NRM electoral commission chairman Dr. Tanga Odoi who they accused of trying to influence the exercise in favour of NRM's Okware. Police however intervened and asked Tanga to leave the center.
Mafabi is son to Sulaiman Lumolo Mafabi the NRM chairman of Sironko district and a wealthy businessman. Mafabi studied at Budo Junior School and sat PLE in 2004. He was admitted to Gombe SS where he completed his secondary education in 2010 before joining the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU).
He graduated in 2014 with a bachelor of law degree. He is currently doing his Master's degree in business administration.