Race for Hoima seat hots up

ELECTIONS

With only two days to the Hoima Woman Parliamentary by-election, President Yoweri Museveni is expected to camp in Hoima district to drum up last-minute support for the NRM party candidate, Harriet Mugenyi Businge.
 
Businge alias Baby Face is facing Asinansi Nyakato of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) who is also the opposition joint candidate.
 
The electoral commission has set September 26 as the polling day for the by-election.
 
Hoima District Woman MP seat fell vacant after the Hoima District Woman MP, Tophace Kaahwa Byagira opted to represent the newly created Kikuube district.
 
President Museveni who also doubles as the NRM party National Chairman is expected to address a total of four rallies between Monday and Tuesday.
 
Ernest Kiiza, the Bunyoro Affairs State Minister told journalists on Sunday evening in Hoima that Museveni will address two separate rallies on Monday.
 
He said the first stopover on the same day will be in Mbarara village in Kitoba sub-county, Bugahya county and later at Kigorobya Muslim primary school in Kigorobya County.
 
Museveni, Kiiza added, will on Tuesday conclude his campaign tour by addressing two campaign rallies, the first one at Kabaale public primary school in Kabaale sub-county and Hoima Booma, in Hoima municipality in the evening.
 
Kiiza urged residents to turn up in big numbers, line up on the roadsides and welcome the President who is expected to arrive in Hoima town at 10:00 am.
 
He said Museveni will be accompanied by the NRM flag bearer and other candidates who are contesting as councilors and Sub-County chairpersons in the newly created sub-counties on the NRM party ticket.
 
The president last visited Bunyoro sub-region in May for three days.
 
Most of his public rallies focused on development and poverty eradication with much emphasis on how to use the four-acre model system of farming.
 
Henry Muganwa Kajura, the Hoima District NRM Chairperson urged the electorate to vote for the NRN candidate who will have direct access with the President and implement the party manifesto.
 
Kajura, the former Hoima Municipality MP, First Deputy Prime Minister, and Public service minister, said the vote should be a token of appreciation to the NRM for the prevailing peace, infrastructural development, and oil discovery in the area, among others.
 
Meanwhile, most NRM big shots including, finance minister, Matia Kasaija, Ernest Kiiza, Bunyoro affairs state minister, Dr. Balthazar Kasirivu Atwooki state minister for economic monitoring and David Karubanga, the state minister for public service had already camped in the area to drum up support for Businge.
 
New Vision has learned that opposition big wigs will also travel to Hoima to canvass last-minute support for Nyakato.
 
Sources said they will be led by Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, former FDC party President, Kizza Besigye and other opposition MPs.