NRM, FDC battle for Jinja West
Feb 15, 2011
WITH just days to the 2011 general election, NRM strategists are working hard to reclaim the Jinja West constituency currently represented by the opposition Forum for Democratic Change.
By Frank Mugabi
WITH just days to the 2011 general election, NRM strategists are working hard to reclaim the Jinja West constituency currently represented by the opposition Forum for Democratic Change.
Henry Kyemba was voted in 1996 with a 31% margin to represent them in the legislative body.
Kyemba was a prominent political figure who had served in past governments, although he worked with the National Resistance Movement.
In 2001 the fortunes changed as the opposition-leaning Harry Kasigwa, who got 627 votes in 1996, won in the polls and became the area Member of Parliament.
He proved to be a big force that turned around the politics in Jinja West.
Not only did he win another confidence vote during the 2006 parliamentary polls, but he made sure that the divisions in his constituency were under opposition control.
The chairmanship for Jinja Central Division went to FDC’s Mubarak Kirunda, while Mpumudde division fell to the same party’s William Edusa.
Kasigwa’s brother, Andrew Kasigwa, was also elected as a councilor and appointed speaker of Jinja central division.
This popularised the opposition in Jinja West constituency.
Seven candidates were nominated to contest, although Wilson Nabeeta, an NRM candidate who had stood as an independent, bowed out and rallied his support to the NRM flag-bearer, Moses Grace Balyeku.
Although Nabeeta’s move was accompanied with a negligible number of votes, it still remains significant that Balyeku has strong opponents who include the incumbent and FDC flag-bearer, Harry Kasigwa, the Eastern Youth MP, Zaake Wanume Kibedi (independent), Moses Talugende (DP) and Najib Kezaala (independent).
As it stands, the race is arguably cut out between Balyeku and Kasigwa.
However, Balyeku, who has international business connections, has put into his bid that has got the constituency tagged as a hotspot.
Using personal funds, Balyeku has accomplished various projects worth millions of shillings which have greatly boosted his popularity. He calls it being in touch with the people’s needs.
He constructed 120 stalls worth sh70m at Mpumudde market and extended water stand pipes to Kimaka B village, a venture that cost him about sh9m. He is also constructing a maternity ward at Kimaka Health Centre II, which will cost sh37m. He also financed the extension of street lights to Sudan village in Mpumudde at a cost of sh16m, besides loaning motorcycles to boda boda operators. Each motorcycle is worth sh2.5m and over 30 of them have been loaned out.
There are also six groups that he helped start poultry projects at sh6m each. It’s now the second term running that Balyeku has been distributing free exercise books to pupils and students in the area. He said his intention is to reduce the burden faced by parents.
For People with various functions in the constituency, Balyeku procured plastic chairs, tents, a Coaster minibus, a Super Custom van and a public address system which can be borrowed free of charge. It’s all these that compelled the Mpumudde LC3 chairman, William Ebusa of FDC, to start campaigning for Balyeku.
“What he has done for the constituency is beyond being a Good Samaritan. If the area MP has failed to do a single one of these things, why shouldn’t I support him?†Ebusa told New Vision.
Even the unusually apprehensive Kasigwa comprehends the magnitude of challenge he faces this time.
“He came with a big bang. Indeed if elections were held in July or August, he would have won. He had confused every person that they had got a messiah,†Kasigwa said.
He however said people were starting to have a change of hearts.
“A day in politics is a longtime and just like I predicted, people have discovered that the angel they were clinging to was more than a devil,†he said.
Kasigwa said the vote is his to win, although he accuses his top rival of employing “desperate measures†to defeat him.
Kasigwa said he has fought the illegal sale of public land in Jinja town and people will vote him for that.
He said the land at the Source of The Nile was on the verge of being sold to Black Eagle Investments, but he petitioned the IGG, who nipped the deal in the bud after finding irregularities in the transaction.
“We also saved other land belonging to Spire Road Primary School, the youth workshop and Kimaka Health Centre, which the municipal and division authorities had connived to illegally give away,†he said, adding that these were still fresh in the voter’s minds.
WITH just days to the 2011 general election, NRM strategists are working hard to reclaim the Jinja West constituency currently represented by the opposition Forum for Democratic Change.
Henry Kyemba was voted in 1996 with a 31% margin to represent them in the legislative body.
Kyemba was a prominent political figure who had served in past governments, although he worked with the National Resistance Movement.
In 2001 the fortunes changed as the opposition-leaning Harry Kasigwa, who got 627 votes in 1996, won in the polls and became the area Member of Parliament.
He proved to be a big force that turned around the politics in Jinja West.
Not only did he win another confidence vote during the 2006 parliamentary polls, but he made sure that the divisions in his constituency were under opposition control.
The chairmanship for Jinja Central Division went to FDC’s Mubarak Kirunda, while Mpumudde division fell to the same party’s William Edusa.
Kasigwa’s brother, Andrew Kasigwa, was also elected as a councilor and appointed speaker of Jinja central division.
This popularised the opposition in Jinja West constituency.
Seven candidates were nominated to contest, although Wilson Nabeeta, an NRM candidate who had stood as an independent, bowed out and rallied his support to the NRM flag-bearer, Moses Grace Balyeku.
Although Nabeeta’s move was accompanied with a negligible number of votes, it still remains significant that Balyeku has strong opponents who include the incumbent and FDC flag-bearer, Harry Kasigwa, the Eastern Youth MP, Zaake Wanume Kibedi (independent), Moses Talugende (DP) and Najib Kezaala (independent).
As it stands, the race is arguably cut out between Balyeku and Kasigwa.
However, Balyeku, who has international business connections, has put into his bid that has got the constituency tagged as a hotspot.
Using personal funds, Balyeku has accomplished various projects worth millions of shillings which have greatly boosted his popularity. He calls it being in touch with the people’s needs.
He constructed 120 stalls worth sh70m at Mpumudde market and extended water stand pipes to Kimaka B village, a venture that cost him about sh9m. He is also constructing a maternity ward at Kimaka Health Centre II, which will cost sh37m. He also financed the extension of street lights to Sudan village in Mpumudde at a cost of sh16m, besides loaning motorcycles to boda boda operators. Each motorcycle is worth sh2.5m and over 30 of them have been loaned out.
There are also six groups that he helped start poultry projects at sh6m each. It’s now the second term running that Balyeku has been distributing free exercise books to pupils and students in the area. He said his intention is to reduce the burden faced by parents.
For People with various functions in the constituency, Balyeku procured plastic chairs, tents, a Coaster minibus, a Super Custom van and a public address system which can be borrowed free of charge. It’s all these that compelled the Mpumudde LC3 chairman, William Ebusa of FDC, to start campaigning for Balyeku.
“What he has done for the constituency is beyond being a Good Samaritan. If the area MP has failed to do a single one of these things, why shouldn’t I support him?†Ebusa told New Vision.
Even the unusually apprehensive Kasigwa comprehends the magnitude of challenge he faces this time.
“He came with a big bang. Indeed if elections were held in July or August, he would have won. He had confused every person that they had got a messiah,†Kasigwa said.
He however said people were starting to have a change of hearts.
“A day in politics is a longtime and just like I predicted, people have discovered that the angel they were clinging to was more than a devil,†he said.
Kasigwa said the vote is his to win, although he accuses his top rival of employing “desperate measures†to defeat him.
Kasigwa said he has fought the illegal sale of public land in Jinja town and people will vote him for that.
He said the land at the Source of The Nile was on the verge of being sold to Black Eagle Investments, but he petitioned the IGG, who nipped the deal in the bud after finding irregularities in the transaction.
“We also saved other land belonging to Spire Road Primary School, the youth workshop and Kimaka Health Centre, which the municipal and division authorities had connived to illegally give away,†he said, adding that these were still fresh in the voter’s minds.