Kibaale’s compromise leader

Apr 30, 2002

Where democracy failed, a consensus originating from marriages now appears to be the answer. Geoffrey Nyamyaka, a long-serving civil servant, has been unanimously chosen to become the compromise LC5 Chairman of the troubled Kibaale district.

By Gerald Businge Where democracy failed, a consensus originating from marriages now appears to be the answer. Geoffrey Nyamyaka, a long-serving civil servant, has been unanimously chosen to become the compromise LC5 Chairman of the troubled Kibaale district. Nyamyaka is to replace chairman elect Fred Ruremera, who offered to step down in the interest of diffusing ethnic tension. Ruremera steps down after President Yoweri Museveni intervened following protests from ethnic Banyoro who insisted that Ruremera, an ethnic Mukiga, can not become their chairman.Mugisa in Kibaale told The New Vision that the compromise candidate, Nyamyaka is an ethnic Munyoro and his daughter is married to a Mukiga. His late wife too, was a Mukiga. So both tribes find him acceptable. Besides, he comes from Buyaga County, where Ruremera garnered most support.Nyamyaka has been working with the Kibaale District Service Commission since 1999. Prior to that, he was the headmaster of Naigana Secondary School for over 20 years.Nyamyaka’s nomination is a result of a heated meeting that ended beyond dusk last Friday. Representatives of the Bakiga and Banyoro meeting on April 26 at the district headquarters and agreed to have him as their chairman.All the four Members of Parliament from the district attended the meeting chaired by Benigna Mukiibi, the state minister for Public Service.The district will hold a shadow by-election on a date yet to be fixed by the Electoral Commission, to confirm their compromise choice. Benigna says if nobody else stands against Nyamyaka, then he will be declared unopposed. If anybody stands against him, the elections will proceed normally but no single candidate can possibly beat a compromise candidate chosen by the two groups.Some people say he was chosen mainly because he is an ethnic Munyoro who is sympathetic to Bakiga. Representatives of the Bakiga ethnic group proposed him. Initially the Banyoro accused Nyamyaka of being too pro-Bakiga. But the Bakiga group said that is the reason why he is the best compromise candidate, since he is unlikely to have tribal sentiments on either side.“We want a win-win situation here. Our man has resigned, therefore we need a man whom we think will cater for our interests as well. But as you know he must be a Munyoro,” Bakiga representative Patrick Zikansagyiza, said.The choice of candidate was also influenced by religion and the county where the possible candidates come from. Some of the ‘delegates’ had earlier resisted Nyamyaka on grounds that he is a Protestant, while the majority of the people in the district are Catholics. Most of the Bakiga are Protestants and would be comfortable with Nyamyaka. The New Vision sampled out views of some people in Kibaale about the possible candidates. Some of them said Nyamyaka is an independent minded man and may not easily yield to pressure from either side.John Alibankoha, a reporter with the local Kagadi Kibaale Community Radio said there was apparent satisfaction from both Banyoro and Bakiga.But others expressed concern that he is too inflexible in his decisions. “He is a man of his own and may not be very sensitive as is required by the compromise candidature in this case. People think he is very rigid,” one source said.Others liked him saying he is a disciplinarian, who can easily keep order and prevent dishonest interests. “All sides are happy with the outcome of the meeting. At least we have now got the candidate,” Besisira MP Buyaga said after the meeting.This is the first time the two sides in the tribal-based conflict have agreed on one thing, in more than three months when similar negotiations started. More than five other candidates were suggested, before the two sides finally agreed on Nyamyaka. “We want a win-win situation here. Our man has resigned; therefore we have to select the candidate whom we think will cater for our interests as well. But as you know he must be a Munyoro,” Zikansagyiza said in Kagadi.Benigna Mukiibi told The New Vision that Nyamyaka will go through the normal election procedures. “We expect he will be nominated unopposed at a date to be announced by the Electoral Commission. We hope no one will show up at nomination day to disrupt this arrangement,” Benigna says.Simon Kimono, the district Returning Officer says Ruremera is expected to hand in his resignation letter any time to pave way for the arrangement to be effected. The Banyoro had earlier picked former Buyaga NRC (National Resistance Council) Member, Pascal Kayiiira as their preferred candidate. The confirmation of the compromise candidate was expected to coincide with Youth Elections. However a source said that government has no money to carry out the election. “But I think we are going to go ahead and treat this as a special case,” Benigna says. Another source said that Nyamyaka was already collecting signatures for his candidature. The nomination date is yet to be announced. ends

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