IPC threatens DP’s Kampala City stronghold
ACROSS Kampala City, the Democratic Party (DP) and the Inter- Party Cooperation (IPC) are fielding strong candidates against each other for the 2011 Parliamentary elections.
ACROSS Kampala City, the Democratic Party (DP) and the Inter- Party Cooperation (IPC) are fielding strong candidates against each other for the 2011 Parliamentary elections.
The city, which has always been DP’s stronghold, will be a battleground as each of the two political forces tries to demonstrate their might.
Lukyamuzi clings to IPC to reclaim his seat
Rubaga South
John Ken Lukyamuzi has to put in extra effort to reclaim the Rubaga South MP seat, which his daughter Suzan Nampijja has been occupying for the last five years.
Lukyamuzi, whose Conservative Party (CP) joined the Inter-Party Co-operation (IPC), will tussle it out with Democratic Party’s Vincent Mayanja, the party’s chairman for Kampala, for the seat come 2011. Nampijja has not declared whether she intends to contest or not. In many of the previous elections, Lukyamuzi and DP have been allies. But DP has refused to join the IPC, to which Lukyamuzi’s CP joined.
As a result, DP and IPC are fronting candidates for the same seats at various levels across the country.
Mayanja, a veteran journalist, who worked with France news agency AFP for over 10 years, told Saturday Vision that Lukyamuzi has an uphill task to reclaim the seat.
Mayanja, who holds a diploma in journalism and a degree in Development Studies, said he joined the race to offer leadership.
He said the voters had fed on comedy in the past and now wanted focused leaders.
“I am offering a voice that can be listened to and not that taken for granted. We have come to address the real needs of the people of Rubaga South,†he said.
Lukyamuzi was thrown out of the Seventh Parliament on the recommendation of the former IGG, Faith Mwondha, for refusing to declare his assets in accordance with the Leadership Code.
He was later blocked from contesting for the seat in the 2006, prompting him to front his little-known daughter Nampijja.
Nampijja took the people of Rubaga by surprise when she trounced her opponents.
Lukyamuzi was popular in Parliament because he had a talent in public speaking and when he combined it with comedy, he edged many of his opponents in the debates.
Elias Lukwago undecided as Eddy Yawe bays for his post
Kampala Central
Where is Erias Lukwago in the 2011 elections? Is he contesting for the mayorship of Kampala or seeking re-election in Kampala Central?
The prominent lawyer and legislator has kept many political observers curious about his next political move.
He has hinted that he will either compete for the mayorship or bounce back.
If he seeks re-election, Lukwago, the former legal adviser of the Democratic Party, will have to take on Eddy Yawe, 37, the party’s flag bearer.
Following DP’s recent primaries, Yawe was declared the flag bearer for Kampala Central MP Seat.
Lukwago who is one of the faction of DP leaders who support the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC), did not take part in the primaries. This means he can only stand as an independent or on the IPC ticket.
But Yawe told Saturday Vision that nothing can force him out of the race at this stage. “Although the race is not clear because I don’t know my opponents yet, I have so many fans and supporters,†he said.
An elder brother of musician Bobi Wine and the proprietor of Dream Studios, Yawe has started underground work.
He said he was not new to DP politics as many people thought because he campaigned for former DP president Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere during the 1996 elections.
“I also campaigned for Sebaana Kizito (former DP president) and also for Lukwago in the 2006 Parliamentary elections,†Yawe said.
Being popular in the music industry and a brother to Bobi Wine, he is likely to pick votes of music lovers, especially the youth.
Born in Kanoni Gomba, Yawe holds a degree in education, specialising in music, dance and drama. He also has a certificate in electronic media from Holland.
He says besides representing the people of Kampala Central, he will also represent the interests of musicians.
Lukwago may also use his legal might and the power of incumbency to tussle on levelled ground with Yawe. For long the musicians in Uganda have been agitating for representation in Parliament. Chances are high that the many musicians will rally behind Yawe.
On the other hand, Lukwago may also use his legal might to tussle on a leveled ground with Yawe.
Besides getting the votes of the IPC supporters, Lukwago is also likely to be voted by Mengo royalists who view him as being closer to the Buganda establishment than Yawe.
Lukwago is a Muslim so may win the votes of the Muslim community especially those who support the Kibuli faction. During his time in Parliament, he portrayed himself as the MP for the poor.
He defended the vendors in the City markets using his position in Parliament and his legal back ground. As a result he became a dear to the vendors.
Yawe and Lukwago’s race depict a tight race between DP and IPC in various constituencies in the forthcoming general elections.
Anne Mugisha returns with a bang, faces DP’s Kakande
Nakawa Division
Nakawa is the only constituency in Kampala district where the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has never lost in a Parliamentary race.
In previous elections, NRM has always beaten its opponents hands down.
Because of the victories which NRM has enjoyed in the constituency, one would imagine that the strategy for the opposition parties ahead of the 2011 general elections would be to unite and defeat the NRM.
But that is not the case. Instead, each party wants to go it alone in an area that is not politically friendly to them.
At the moment, the race is between John Paul Kakande, DP’s deputy publicity secretary and Anne Mugisha, FDC’s deputy secretary for foreign affairs.
Although Mugisha has already sounded an alarm that her opponent in the party’s primaries, Michael Kabazinguruka, is plotting to rig the primaries, chances are high that she will carry the IPC flag in the elections.
Both Mugisha and Kakande are renowned politicians, considering the positions they hold in their parties. They have also each contested for a parliamentary seat in Kampala before.
Mugisha contested for the Kampala Woman MP seat in 2001 and lost to Margaret Zziwa, whereas Kakande was beaten by Fred Ruhindi in 2006 in Nakawa.
Contesting in Kampala is not a bed of roses because of several challenging factors, including the diversity of the backgrounds of the electorate.
In 2001, after losing to Zziwa, Mugisha left the county and went to USA, where she has been serving as FDC’s envoy.
She used that opportunity to network with Ugandans living abroad and hopes to use the links to mobilise funds for her campaigns. She has created a website to use in fundraising for the campaigns. She returned on June 11.
She is not as lucky as Kakande, who remained behind after losing an election and continued to carry on with underground work in the constituency.
Kakande and Mugisha are both lawyers and have what it takes to tussle it out in the elections. However, they have a hussle of defeating NRM’s Ruhindi.
Mabikke faces Lwanga in Makindye
Makindye East
The Democratic Party (DP) camp in Makindye East has fronted Sebastian Lwanga to take on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) president Michael Mabikke.
Mabikke, a lawyer, has been the Makindye East MP for the last 10 years. He went to Parliament in 2001 on the DP ticket. In 2001, the electorate in Makindye overwhelmingly voted the young and vocal DP firebrand.
However, Mabikke developed a misunderstanding with the mainstream DP towards the end of his first five-year term in the Parliament.
He had allied with Nasser Ntege Sebaggala, who supported Col. Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in the presidential race as opposed to DP boss, John Ssebana Kizito in 2006.
To punish Mabikke for the move, the party fronted Sarah Kayinke Ssebagala for the Parliamentary race, but with the backing of Ssebagala and Besigye, Mabikke, who had contested as an independent, won.
He then officially quit DP and joined SDP, where he was elected president. Since the 2006 general elections, DP has never buried the hatched against Mabikke. Mabikke and his party support IPC and they are behind Besigye, the IPC flag bearer.
The DP camp wants him out of Parliament by hook or crook.
Lwanga, 46, holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Alabama University in the United States. He also holds a Masters in Finance.
Lwanga, who returned recently from the USA, vows to defeat Mabikke.
“Mabikke has outlived his importance in Parliament and I feel I can serve better.
He should be contesting for the Presidency because he is a leader of a party. But if he dares to seek re-election as MP, he is finished,†he said.
Lwanga, who spent of 20 years in the US, said the electorate will benefit from the experience and the links he has with the US.
Kanyike braces for Nabilah’s seat
Kampala woman seat
For the Kampala Woman MP seat, both the Democratic Party (DP) and the Inter-Party Corporation (IPC) are fronting separate candidates. DP endorsed Sarah Kanyike Ssebagala, the former Speaker of Kampala City Council as its flag bearer.
IPC has not declared its flag bearer because its primaries are still going on, but several contenders from the small political parties which make up the cooperation, have shown interest.
However, speculation is high that Nabilah Sempala, the incumbent, will use her position to win the race.
But fronting two aspirants may make it hard for either of the aspirants from the opposition to go through.
NRM has fronted Margaret Nantogo Zziwa, an East African Assembly legislator. The opposition grabbed the seat from Zziwa in 2006 because they rallied behind Nabilah.
Both Nabilah and Kanyinke have challenges in their own political parties, which may work to their disadvantage against Zziwa.
For Kanyinke, DP has internal wrangles, which are likely to affect her chances.
Kanyike supports Norbert Mao, who was elected DP president early this year during the Mbale delegates’ conference.
On the other hand, Nabilah is also fighting hard to be endorsed the flag bearer for IPC, in a bid to reclaim her seat in Parliament.
But there is a group of FDC supporters who are fighting to bring her down. The group was planning to front Mai Kiggundu, but seemed to have failed to convince her.
Nabilah has complained that there is a plot to rig the primaries in favour of her opponents, something she said will put the image of the party at stake.
The city, which has always been DP’s stronghold, will be a battleground as each of the two political forces tries to demonstrate their might.
Lukyamuzi clings to IPC to reclaim his seat
Rubaga South
John Ken Lukyamuzi has to put in extra effort to reclaim the Rubaga South MP seat, which his daughter Suzan Nampijja has been occupying for the last five years.
Lukyamuzi, whose Conservative Party (CP) joined the Inter-Party Co-operation (IPC), will tussle it out with Democratic Party’s Vincent Mayanja, the party’s chairman for Kampala, for the seat come 2011. Nampijja has not declared whether she intends to contest or not. In many of the previous elections, Lukyamuzi and DP have been allies. But DP has refused to join the IPC, to which Lukyamuzi’s CP joined.
As a result, DP and IPC are fronting candidates for the same seats at various levels across the country.
Mayanja, a veteran journalist, who worked with France news agency AFP for over 10 years, told Saturday Vision that Lukyamuzi has an uphill task to reclaim the seat.
Mayanja, who holds a diploma in journalism and a degree in Development Studies, said he joined the race to offer leadership.
He said the voters had fed on comedy in the past and now wanted focused leaders.
“I am offering a voice that can be listened to and not that taken for granted. We have come to address the real needs of the people of Rubaga South,†he said.
Lukyamuzi was thrown out of the Seventh Parliament on the recommendation of the former IGG, Faith Mwondha, for refusing to declare his assets in accordance with the Leadership Code.
He was later blocked from contesting for the seat in the 2006, prompting him to front his little-known daughter Nampijja.
Nampijja took the people of Rubaga by surprise when she trounced her opponents.
Lukyamuzi was popular in Parliament because he had a talent in public speaking and when he combined it with comedy, he edged many of his opponents in the debates.
Elias Lukwago undecided as Eddy Yawe bays for his post
Kampala Central
Where is Erias Lukwago in the 2011 elections? Is he contesting for the mayorship of Kampala or seeking re-election in Kampala Central?
The prominent lawyer and legislator has kept many political observers curious about his next political move.
He has hinted that he will either compete for the mayorship or bounce back.
If he seeks re-election, Lukwago, the former legal adviser of the Democratic Party, will have to take on Eddy Yawe, 37, the party’s flag bearer.
Following DP’s recent primaries, Yawe was declared the flag bearer for Kampala Central MP Seat.
Lukwago who is one of the faction of DP leaders who support the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC), did not take part in the primaries. This means he can only stand as an independent or on the IPC ticket.
But Yawe told Saturday Vision that nothing can force him out of the race at this stage. “Although the race is not clear because I don’t know my opponents yet, I have so many fans and supporters,†he said.
An elder brother of musician Bobi Wine and the proprietor of Dream Studios, Yawe has started underground work.
He said he was not new to DP politics as many people thought because he campaigned for former DP president Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere during the 1996 elections.
“I also campaigned for Sebaana Kizito (former DP president) and also for Lukwago in the 2006 Parliamentary elections,†Yawe said.
Being popular in the music industry and a brother to Bobi Wine, he is likely to pick votes of music lovers, especially the youth.
Born in Kanoni Gomba, Yawe holds a degree in education, specialising in music, dance and drama. He also has a certificate in electronic media from Holland.
He says besides representing the people of Kampala Central, he will also represent the interests of musicians.
Lukwago may also use his legal might and the power of incumbency to tussle on levelled ground with Yawe. For long the musicians in Uganda have been agitating for representation in Parliament. Chances are high that the many musicians will rally behind Yawe.
On the other hand, Lukwago may also use his legal might to tussle on a leveled ground with Yawe.
Besides getting the votes of the IPC supporters, Lukwago is also likely to be voted by Mengo royalists who view him as being closer to the Buganda establishment than Yawe.
Lukwago is a Muslim so may win the votes of the Muslim community especially those who support the Kibuli faction. During his time in Parliament, he portrayed himself as the MP for the poor.
He defended the vendors in the City markets using his position in Parliament and his legal back ground. As a result he became a dear to the vendors.
Yawe and Lukwago’s race depict a tight race between DP and IPC in various constituencies in the forthcoming general elections.
Anne Mugisha returns with a bang, faces DP’s Kakande
Nakawa Division
Nakawa is the only constituency in Kampala district where the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has never lost in a Parliamentary race.
In previous elections, NRM has always beaten its opponents hands down.
Because of the victories which NRM has enjoyed in the constituency, one would imagine that the strategy for the opposition parties ahead of the 2011 general elections would be to unite and defeat the NRM.
But that is not the case. Instead, each party wants to go it alone in an area that is not politically friendly to them.
At the moment, the race is between John Paul Kakande, DP’s deputy publicity secretary and Anne Mugisha, FDC’s deputy secretary for foreign affairs.
Although Mugisha has already sounded an alarm that her opponent in the party’s primaries, Michael Kabazinguruka, is plotting to rig the primaries, chances are high that she will carry the IPC flag in the elections.
Both Mugisha and Kakande are renowned politicians, considering the positions they hold in their parties. They have also each contested for a parliamentary seat in Kampala before.
Mugisha contested for the Kampala Woman MP seat in 2001 and lost to Margaret Zziwa, whereas Kakande was beaten by Fred Ruhindi in 2006 in Nakawa.
Contesting in Kampala is not a bed of roses because of several challenging factors, including the diversity of the backgrounds of the electorate.
In 2001, after losing to Zziwa, Mugisha left the county and went to USA, where she has been serving as FDC’s envoy.
She used that opportunity to network with Ugandans living abroad and hopes to use the links to mobilise funds for her campaigns. She has created a website to use in fundraising for the campaigns. She returned on June 11.
She is not as lucky as Kakande, who remained behind after losing an election and continued to carry on with underground work in the constituency.
Kakande and Mugisha are both lawyers and have what it takes to tussle it out in the elections. However, they have a hussle of defeating NRM’s Ruhindi.
Mabikke faces Lwanga in Makindye
Makindye East
The Democratic Party (DP) camp in Makindye East has fronted Sebastian Lwanga to take on the Social Democratic Party (SDP) president Michael Mabikke.
Mabikke, a lawyer, has been the Makindye East MP for the last 10 years. He went to Parliament in 2001 on the DP ticket. In 2001, the electorate in Makindye overwhelmingly voted the young and vocal DP firebrand.
However, Mabikke developed a misunderstanding with the mainstream DP towards the end of his first five-year term in the Parliament.
He had allied with Nasser Ntege Sebaggala, who supported Col. Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) in the presidential race as opposed to DP boss, John Ssebana Kizito in 2006.
To punish Mabikke for the move, the party fronted Sarah Kayinke Ssebagala for the Parliamentary race, but with the backing of Ssebagala and Besigye, Mabikke, who had contested as an independent, won.
He then officially quit DP and joined SDP, where he was elected president. Since the 2006 general elections, DP has never buried the hatched against Mabikke. Mabikke and his party support IPC and they are behind Besigye, the IPC flag bearer.
The DP camp wants him out of Parliament by hook or crook.
Lwanga, 46, holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Alabama University in the United States. He also holds a Masters in Finance.
Lwanga, who returned recently from the USA, vows to defeat Mabikke.
“Mabikke has outlived his importance in Parliament and I feel I can serve better.
He should be contesting for the Presidency because he is a leader of a party. But if he dares to seek re-election as MP, he is finished,†he said.
Lwanga, who spent of 20 years in the US, said the electorate will benefit from the experience and the links he has with the US.
Kanyike braces for Nabilah’s seat
Kampala woman seat
For the Kampala Woman MP seat, both the Democratic Party (DP) and the Inter-Party Corporation (IPC) are fronting separate candidates. DP endorsed Sarah Kanyike Ssebagala, the former Speaker of Kampala City Council as its flag bearer.
IPC has not declared its flag bearer because its primaries are still going on, but several contenders from the small political parties which make up the cooperation, have shown interest.
However, speculation is high that Nabilah Sempala, the incumbent, will use her position to win the race.
But fronting two aspirants may make it hard for either of the aspirants from the opposition to go through.
NRM has fronted Margaret Nantogo Zziwa, an East African Assembly legislator. The opposition grabbed the seat from Zziwa in 2006 because they rallied behind Nabilah.
Both Nabilah and Kanyinke have challenges in their own political parties, which may work to their disadvantage against Zziwa.
For Kanyinke, DP has internal wrangles, which are likely to affect her chances.
Kanyike supports Norbert Mao, who was elected DP president early this year during the Mbale delegates’ conference.
On the other hand, Nabilah is also fighting hard to be endorsed the flag bearer for IPC, in a bid to reclaim her seat in Parliament.
But there is a group of FDC supporters who are fighting to bring her down. The group was planning to front Mai Kiggundu, but seemed to have failed to convince her.
Nabilah has complained that there is a plot to rig the primaries in favour of her opponents, something she said will put the image of the party at stake.