Mbarara town MP aspirants step down
Apr 10, 2005
THE Mbarara municipality parliamentary seat by-elections have taken a new twist with several aspirants opting out.
By Raymond Baguma
and Abraham Ahabwe
THE Mbarara municipality parliamentary seat by-elections have taken a new twist with several aspirants opting out.
This followed a meeting between the aspirants and President Yoweri Museveni at his home in Rwakitura on Friday.
The race had attracted 13 candidates, 11 of whom belonged to the Movement.
Sources said Museveni convened the meeting out of concern about the high number of Movement candidates vying for the seat.
Earlier meetings convened by the Mbarara municipality Movement chairman, Robert Rutehenda, yielded no results on selecting one Movement candidate.
Sources that attended the closed meeting said Kaweesa Ssebuuma and Rhoda Tumusiime withdrew from the race in favour of John Kigyagi, the Kamwenge resident district commissioner.
Ssebuuma said, “I have withdrawn because if you belong to a system, the system must be above the candidate. I am sure others will follow suit.â€
However, two other aspirants in the by-elections, Jotham Mugarura and James Tweheyo, reportedly declined to step down.
MP and Forum for Democratic Change supporter John Kazoora led a delegation from his Kashaari constituency to meet Museveni.
“The meeting failed to reach consensus. There is nothing conclusive yet. Consultation is still going on for a candidate to hold the Movement banner,†Mugarura said.
Mugarura is the head of legal affairs in the Movement Secretariat, while Tweheyo, who stood down for Ngoma Ngime in 2001, is the deputy headmaster of Nyakayojo Secondary School.
Tweheyo and Mugarura said they would have more talks with the President.
Other aspirants are Lawrence Kusemererwa, Ben Makaaru, Evans Kabateraine, Mushabe Didus, David Bashaija, Dauda Balinda, and Mohammed Menya.
Candidates not affiliated to any political party are Nick Kashaija and The New Vision’s Kabale-based reporter, Darious Magara.
Ends
and Abraham Ahabwe
THE Mbarara municipality parliamentary seat by-elections have taken a new twist with several aspirants opting out.
This followed a meeting between the aspirants and President Yoweri Museveni at his home in Rwakitura on Friday.
The race had attracted 13 candidates, 11 of whom belonged to the Movement.
Sources said Museveni convened the meeting out of concern about the high number of Movement candidates vying for the seat.
Earlier meetings convened by the Mbarara municipality Movement chairman, Robert Rutehenda, yielded no results on selecting one Movement candidate.
Sources that attended the closed meeting said Kaweesa Ssebuuma and Rhoda Tumusiime withdrew from the race in favour of John Kigyagi, the Kamwenge resident district commissioner.
Ssebuuma said, “I have withdrawn because if you belong to a system, the system must be above the candidate. I am sure others will follow suit.â€
However, two other aspirants in the by-elections, Jotham Mugarura and James Tweheyo, reportedly declined to step down.
MP and Forum for Democratic Change supporter John Kazoora led a delegation from his Kashaari constituency to meet Museveni.
“The meeting failed to reach consensus. There is nothing conclusive yet. Consultation is still going on for a candidate to hold the Movement banner,†Mugarura said.
Mugarura is the head of legal affairs in the Movement Secretariat, while Tweheyo, who stood down for Ngoma Ngime in 2001, is the deputy headmaster of Nyakayojo Secondary School.
Tweheyo and Mugarura said they would have more talks with the President.
Other aspirants are Lawrence Kusemererwa, Ben Makaaru, Evans Kabateraine, Mushabe Didus, David Bashaija, Dauda Balinda, and Mohammed Menya.
Candidates not affiliated to any political party are Nick Kashaija and The New Vision’s Kabale-based reporter, Darious Magara.
Ends