Tough race for Kampala MPs
Jan 22, 2006
The battle for MP seats in Kampala is likely to be one of the toughest ever fought in Kampala in elections. In the Seventh Parliament, the seats were shared between the Movement that has four seats, the Democratic Party (DP) that has two seats and the Conservative Party (CP) taking two seats. By th
By Joshua Kato
The battle for MP seats in Kampala is likely to be one of the toughest ever fought in Kampala in elections. In the Seventh Parliament, the seats were shared between the Movement that has four seats, the Democratic Party (DP) that has two seats and the Conservative Party (CP) taking two seats. By the end of this year’s election, the scenario might have changed dramatically.
Kampala Central
This is the central part of the city, where most of the key offices are located and most key business deals clinched. The division has got the uptown areas like Nakasero, Kololo and parts of Naguru. It has also got the crowded slums like Kisenyi and Kifumbira in Kamwokya.
Key issues in Kampala Central include removing garbage, finding a formula for stopping traffic jams and modernising the various markets.
Kampala Central seat is currently held by Captain Francis Babu a staunch NRM supporter. However, he is set to have one of his toughest fights if he is to retain it.
His main challenger Erias Lukwago, a renown DP, city lawyer and government critic has made for himself a fairly clean name as a lead lawyer for DP.
Babu says he was born in Kisenyi area, Kampala. This has been a big campaign tool for him because the Kisenyi people identify with him as one of them.
Taking the constituency will depend on how best the candidates use their respective party structures in the campaign.
Kawempe North
This is one of the opposition’s strongholds in the city. It is located at the northern end of Kampala, bordering Wakiso district. Key issues here include poor roads, lack of proper sanitation especially in slums like Kyebando and high taxes.
At the moment, the constituency is represented by DP’s Latif Ssebagala. To retain his seat, Ssebagala has to fend off the challenges of NRM’s Muhammad Ssemanda. However, this is likely to be the easiest of all the races in city seats.
Although Ssemanda is mobiliser for his party in the constituency, he is not widely known in the division’s politics. The other candidates include Fredrick Lubwama, an independent.
Kawempe South
This is another of the opposition’s strongholds. It is sand-wiched between Kawempe North and Kampala Central. The issues here include poor sanitation especially in areas of Katanga, Bwaise and Kalerwe.
At the moment, it is held by DP’s Ssebuliba Mutumba. To retain his seat, he has to tussle it out with former RDC Nakawa and former Radio Uganda journalist Mpimbaza Hashaka.
The other contestants, including FDC’s Reuben Turyahikayo are still seen as inconsequential.
This is the second time Hashaka is having a go at the seat. In 2001, he was poised to stand for the same seat, only to be convinced by President Yoweri Museveni to leave the seat for Meddie Kaggwa, who was defeated by Ssebuliba.
Ssebuliba might retain his seat, but it will not be easy. Hashaka has been mobilising for votes seriously for the last five years. His main stronghold is in parts of lower Nsoba, Mulago and parts of Kifumbira in Kamwokya. It will be a tough fight for both of them.
Rubaga North
It is located south west of Kampala. Key areas include Kasubi and Nakulabye. It is also the area where main Buganda traditional sites like the tombs are located.
At the moment, this seat is held by NRM’s Tom Kayongo. However, he has a tough battle on his hands to retain it. His challengers include Beti Kamya of FDC, Bagunwya Nkalubo of DP and Wasswa Lule.
The failure of the opposition to agree on having one candidate for the seat is what Kayongo prayed for. The crowding might work in Kayongo’s favour because the opposition has to share the votes among themselves.
At the moment, it is hard to see any of the three opposition candidates stepping down for the other. Nkalubo has been preparing for the seat for years, Kamya has also been preparing herself for years as is Wasswa Lule, who has held it before.
Rubaga South
Located south of Kampala, Rubaga South is a network of all kinds of problems. Daily land evictions take place and poor sanitation is the order of the day.
Nobody expected the name Ken Lukyamuzi to miss on the ballot paper for Rubaga South. Lukyamuzi, the supposed incumbent was thrown out of parliament after his failure to declare his wealth. He was also subsequently stopped from being nominated for the seat again.
The absence of Lukyamuzi has thrown the race wide open. To retain some influence in the constituency, Lukyamuzi brought in a substitute, his daughter Nampijja Lukyamuzi.
DP that had decided not to have a candidate for the constituency also nominated Joseph Balikudembe.
The NRM candidate, Erias Male, is not widely known in political circles. He is likely to find it hard campaigning against Balikudembe, a seasoned politician and city lawyer and against Ken Lukyamuzi, who is likely to be a talisman behind his daughter.
Makindye East
This is another of the opposition strongholds held by DP’s Michael Mabikke. He will, however, have to dig in his heels if he is to retain the seat. Arrayed against him is a strong field of both fellow opposition politicians and NRM.
First of all Mabikke has to grapple with the fact that his party DP has a candidate against him in the name of Sarah Kanyike Ssebagala. Kanyike is not a political starter, she has been the councillor for Makindye and a speaker of KCC. She was elected through the DP primaries in the division as a parliamentary candidate for the constituency.
The fact that there are two DP candidates means that DP votes and campaigners are divided into two. While Mabikke and Kanyike are grappling with their internal party problems, NRM’s John Ssimbwa might jump into the fray and grab the seat, especially if NRM structures rigorously campaign for him.
Makindye West
This is another opposition stronghold held by Yusuf Nsubuga Nsambu of the Conservative Party (CP) It, however, promises to be a big battle between CP, DP, NRM and JEEMA.
Hussein Kyanjo, the JEEMA candidate stood in 2001 but lost to Nsambu. He has since been mobilising for the seat.
Before Kyanjo grabs the seat, he has to defeat Mukasa Mbidde of DP. Mbidde is not only a DP supporter, but also deputy campaign manager of DP presidential candidate John Ssebaana Kizito. Mbidde has got the entire UYD campaigning for him.
But before the opposition grabs the seat, in comes Francis Lubowa of NRM. Lubowa is no mean politician. He has been a councillor at KCC and one of the leading ministers.
Any of the four can grab this seat. It depends on who has the best campaign team and who articulates issues more clearly.
Nakawa Division
It is located east of Kampala City and the largest of all the divisions. It has got about 180,000 voters. At the moment, the incumbent is Fred Ruhindi of NRM. He is standing again, having gone through the NRM primaries. To retain his seat, he has to defeat among others Kenneth Kakande of DP.
Kakande has been a Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) activist for years and has been quietly mobilising in the division. The other contestants include Umah Tete, a UPC supporter, but standing as an Independent and Ronald Balimwezo, who is also standing as an independent. The race is clearly between Ruhindi and Kakande. However, this being a NRM stronghold Ruhindi might clinch it.
Kampala Woman
The current MP is Margaret Zziwa of NRM. However, the change of the voting system from electoral colleges to universal human suffrage might make her bid to retain the seat harder. Previously, she was elected by the local councils.
Her opposition include FDC’s Naggayi Ssempala and DP’s Christine Sseppuyya.
However, the two ladies are not well known in political circles and this might work in Zziwa’s favour, who is a seasoned politician and knows a lot about winning votes. Unless otherwise, Zziwa might go back to parliament.
Ends
The battle for MP seats in Kampala is likely to be one of the toughest ever fought in Kampala in elections. In the Seventh Parliament, the seats were shared between the Movement that has four seats, the Democratic Party (DP) that has two seats and the Conservative Party (CP) taking two seats. By the end of this year’s election, the scenario might have changed dramatically.
Kampala Central
This is the central part of the city, where most of the key offices are located and most key business deals clinched. The division has got the uptown areas like Nakasero, Kololo and parts of Naguru. It has also got the crowded slums like Kisenyi and Kifumbira in Kamwokya.
Key issues in Kampala Central include removing garbage, finding a formula for stopping traffic jams and modernising the various markets.
Kampala Central seat is currently held by Captain Francis Babu a staunch NRM supporter. However, he is set to have one of his toughest fights if he is to retain it.
His main challenger Erias Lukwago, a renown DP, city lawyer and government critic has made for himself a fairly clean name as a lead lawyer for DP.
Babu says he was born in Kisenyi area, Kampala. This has been a big campaign tool for him because the Kisenyi people identify with him as one of them.
Taking the constituency will depend on how best the candidates use their respective party structures in the campaign.
Kawempe North
This is one of the opposition’s strongholds in the city. It is located at the northern end of Kampala, bordering Wakiso district. Key issues here include poor roads, lack of proper sanitation especially in slums like Kyebando and high taxes.
At the moment, the constituency is represented by DP’s Latif Ssebagala. To retain his seat, Ssebagala has to fend off the challenges of NRM’s Muhammad Ssemanda. However, this is likely to be the easiest of all the races in city seats.
Although Ssemanda is mobiliser for his party in the constituency, he is not widely known in the division’s politics. The other candidates include Fredrick Lubwama, an independent.
Kawempe South
This is another of the opposition’s strongholds. It is sand-wiched between Kawempe North and Kampala Central. The issues here include poor sanitation especially in areas of Katanga, Bwaise and Kalerwe.
At the moment, it is held by DP’s Ssebuliba Mutumba. To retain his seat, he has to tussle it out with former RDC Nakawa and former Radio Uganda journalist Mpimbaza Hashaka.
The other contestants, including FDC’s Reuben Turyahikayo are still seen as inconsequential.
This is the second time Hashaka is having a go at the seat. In 2001, he was poised to stand for the same seat, only to be convinced by President Yoweri Museveni to leave the seat for Meddie Kaggwa, who was defeated by Ssebuliba.
Ssebuliba might retain his seat, but it will not be easy. Hashaka has been mobilising for votes seriously for the last five years. His main stronghold is in parts of lower Nsoba, Mulago and parts of Kifumbira in Kamwokya. It will be a tough fight for both of them.
Rubaga North
It is located south west of Kampala. Key areas include Kasubi and Nakulabye. It is also the area where main Buganda traditional sites like the tombs are located.
At the moment, this seat is held by NRM’s Tom Kayongo. However, he has a tough battle on his hands to retain it. His challengers include Beti Kamya of FDC, Bagunwya Nkalubo of DP and Wasswa Lule.
The failure of the opposition to agree on having one candidate for the seat is what Kayongo prayed for. The crowding might work in Kayongo’s favour because the opposition has to share the votes among themselves.
At the moment, it is hard to see any of the three opposition candidates stepping down for the other. Nkalubo has been preparing for the seat for years, Kamya has also been preparing herself for years as is Wasswa Lule, who has held it before.
Rubaga South
Located south of Kampala, Rubaga South is a network of all kinds of problems. Daily land evictions take place and poor sanitation is the order of the day.
Nobody expected the name Ken Lukyamuzi to miss on the ballot paper for Rubaga South. Lukyamuzi, the supposed incumbent was thrown out of parliament after his failure to declare his wealth. He was also subsequently stopped from being nominated for the seat again.
The absence of Lukyamuzi has thrown the race wide open. To retain some influence in the constituency, Lukyamuzi brought in a substitute, his daughter Nampijja Lukyamuzi.
DP that had decided not to have a candidate for the constituency also nominated Joseph Balikudembe.
The NRM candidate, Erias Male, is not widely known in political circles. He is likely to find it hard campaigning against Balikudembe, a seasoned politician and city lawyer and against Ken Lukyamuzi, who is likely to be a talisman behind his daughter.
Makindye East
This is another of the opposition strongholds held by DP’s Michael Mabikke. He will, however, have to dig in his heels if he is to retain the seat. Arrayed against him is a strong field of both fellow opposition politicians and NRM.
First of all Mabikke has to grapple with the fact that his party DP has a candidate against him in the name of Sarah Kanyike Ssebagala. Kanyike is not a political starter, she has been the councillor for Makindye and a speaker of KCC. She was elected through the DP primaries in the division as a parliamentary candidate for the constituency.
The fact that there are two DP candidates means that DP votes and campaigners are divided into two. While Mabikke and Kanyike are grappling with their internal party problems, NRM’s John Ssimbwa might jump into the fray and grab the seat, especially if NRM structures rigorously campaign for him.
Makindye West
This is another opposition stronghold held by Yusuf Nsubuga Nsambu of the Conservative Party (CP) It, however, promises to be a big battle between CP, DP, NRM and JEEMA.
Hussein Kyanjo, the JEEMA candidate stood in 2001 but lost to Nsambu. He has since been mobilising for the seat.
Before Kyanjo grabs the seat, he has to defeat Mukasa Mbidde of DP. Mbidde is not only a DP supporter, but also deputy campaign manager of DP presidential candidate John Ssebaana Kizito. Mbidde has got the entire UYD campaigning for him.
But before the opposition grabs the seat, in comes Francis Lubowa of NRM. Lubowa is no mean politician. He has been a councillor at KCC and one of the leading ministers.
Any of the four can grab this seat. It depends on who has the best campaign team and who articulates issues more clearly.
Nakawa Division
It is located east of Kampala City and the largest of all the divisions. It has got about 180,000 voters. At the moment, the incumbent is Fred Ruhindi of NRM. He is standing again, having gone through the NRM primaries. To retain his seat, he has to defeat among others Kenneth Kakande of DP.
Kakande has been a Uganda Young Democrats (UYD) activist for years and has been quietly mobilising in the division. The other contestants include Umah Tete, a UPC supporter, but standing as an Independent and Ronald Balimwezo, who is also standing as an independent. The race is clearly between Ruhindi and Kakande. However, this being a NRM stronghold Ruhindi might clinch it.
Kampala Woman
The current MP is Margaret Zziwa of NRM. However, the change of the voting system from electoral colleges to universal human suffrage might make her bid to retain the seat harder. Previously, she was elected by the local councils.
Her opposition include FDC’s Naggayi Ssempala and DP’s Christine Sseppuyya.
However, the two ladies are not well known in political circles and this might work in Zziwa’s favour, who is a seasoned politician and knows a lot about winning votes. Unless otherwise, Zziwa might go back to parliament.
Ends