Kyafu heads to Kigulu as 4 eye his Iganga seat
May 28, 2010
THE incumbent Iganga district chairman, Asuman Kyafu, has decided to vie for the Kigulu South parliamentary seat in 2011, leaving four contestants in the race to replace him.
By George Bita
In Entebbe, 4 stand in Kabuye’s way as he extends his 20-year-old mayorship
THE incumbent Iganga district chairman, Asuman Kyafu, has decided to vie for the Kigulu South parliamentary seat in 2011, leaving four contestants in the race to replace him.
It is common knowledge that religious factor will play a role in determining who steps in Kyafu’s shoes for the next five years.
Muslims have in the recent past found their way into key managerial positions in Iganga, something which has not gone down well with the Christian fraternity. Talk doing rounds in Iganga is that it is time to reclaim Christian dominance.
Christians were not happy when Kyafu dropped his deputy, Rose Musana, and replaced her with a Muslem, Ismail Kyeyago.
Whenever an opportunity crops up to address Church congregations, the Christian politicians urge their fellow faithful to “make change by choosing one of your own this time round.â€
There are two contestants from each religious sector so far eyeing the chairmanship. They all belong to the ruling NRM party and have to tussle it out at the primaries later this year.
In this majority rural setting with undying support for the NRM, there isn’t much else to convince the electorate with, apart from being a ruling party member and belonging to the ‘right’ faith.
The party candidate will also partially ride on the back of the Government achievements, like education-for-all and the votes will flow in.
Abdullah Balunywa is the LC3 chairman of Bulamagi sub-county. He has been serving in that capacity since 2001 and may use his political experience to grab the LC5 seat.
He is a man who has respect from people of all walks of life, right from bodaboda cyclists to a section of opinion leaders in Iganga.
“My votes are secure and come D-Day, I will be the chairman of Iganga district,†Balunywa assures.
It is rare to come across this moneyed chief moving expensively. His main mode of transport is by bodaboda or hitchhiking; something that has endeared him to the mainly poor electorate.
His supposed Archilles’ foot is being a Muslim which his opponents are using to tell the voters that they should give another religion a chance.
Patrick Kayemba is a district councilor representing Bulamagi sub-county and works with an NGO, the First African Bicycle Information Office (FABIO) based in Jinja.
“Let us get a Christian so that the Churches are not neglected as it has been the case in the past,†Kayemba implores.
He hopes to achieve a lot for Iganga during the first term so that the people won’t hesitate to give him many more Bisanja (terms).
George Swaga is a tutor at Bishop Willis Teacher Training College in Iganga. His management role at the popular CMS-based Kiss discotheque could turn out a crowd puller of sorts.
Already, he ensures that he is chauffeured around in a Kiss discotheque van, complete with huge out-door sound systems that attract, especially the youth.
However, Swaga is a novice in politics and his part-time job as College caterer has made his detractors ridicule him as a “cook leaving the food to burn as he rushes to politick.â€
Kyeyago, the fourth contender, is seen by many as simply a subordinate of the incumbent, whom he hand-picked to continue his legacy.
He is of late the one who represents the district chairman at most district functions as the LC5 rushes to do vote searching in Kigulu South.
Kyeyago still has to account for the decision by the district council to flex muscles with the Kyabazinga institution, when the district purpotedly grabbed the institution’s land and sold it.
The Prime minister (Katukiro) of Busoga kingdom Wilson Muwereza in January this year reacted angrily to the move through a strongly-worded letter copied to the lands ministry.
Kyeyago, who was Iganga town LC3 chief before 2006, did not leave behind any tangible development for the urban dwellers to be proud of.
Most of them question that if he failed to prove his worth with a mere town, is there hope for an entire district?
In Entebbe, 4 stand in Kabuye’s way as he extends his 20-year-old mayorship
THE incumbent Iganga district chairman, Asuman Kyafu, has decided to vie for the Kigulu South parliamentary seat in 2011, leaving four contestants in the race to replace him.
It is common knowledge that religious factor will play a role in determining who steps in Kyafu’s shoes for the next five years.
Muslims have in the recent past found their way into key managerial positions in Iganga, something which has not gone down well with the Christian fraternity. Talk doing rounds in Iganga is that it is time to reclaim Christian dominance.
Christians were not happy when Kyafu dropped his deputy, Rose Musana, and replaced her with a Muslem, Ismail Kyeyago.
Whenever an opportunity crops up to address Church congregations, the Christian politicians urge their fellow faithful to “make change by choosing one of your own this time round.â€
There are two contestants from each religious sector so far eyeing the chairmanship. They all belong to the ruling NRM party and have to tussle it out at the primaries later this year.
In this majority rural setting with undying support for the NRM, there isn’t much else to convince the electorate with, apart from being a ruling party member and belonging to the ‘right’ faith.
The party candidate will also partially ride on the back of the Government achievements, like education-for-all and the votes will flow in.
Abdullah Balunywa is the LC3 chairman of Bulamagi sub-county. He has been serving in that capacity since 2001 and may use his political experience to grab the LC5 seat.
He is a man who has respect from people of all walks of life, right from bodaboda cyclists to a section of opinion leaders in Iganga.
“My votes are secure and come D-Day, I will be the chairman of Iganga district,†Balunywa assures.
It is rare to come across this moneyed chief moving expensively. His main mode of transport is by bodaboda or hitchhiking; something that has endeared him to the mainly poor electorate.
His supposed Archilles’ foot is being a Muslim which his opponents are using to tell the voters that they should give another religion a chance.
Patrick Kayemba is a district councilor representing Bulamagi sub-county and works with an NGO, the First African Bicycle Information Office (FABIO) based in Jinja.
“Let us get a Christian so that the Churches are not neglected as it has been the case in the past,†Kayemba implores.
He hopes to achieve a lot for Iganga during the first term so that the people won’t hesitate to give him many more Bisanja (terms).
George Swaga is a tutor at Bishop Willis Teacher Training College in Iganga. His management role at the popular CMS-based Kiss discotheque could turn out a crowd puller of sorts.
Already, he ensures that he is chauffeured around in a Kiss discotheque van, complete with huge out-door sound systems that attract, especially the youth.
However, Swaga is a novice in politics and his part-time job as College caterer has made his detractors ridicule him as a “cook leaving the food to burn as he rushes to politick.â€
Kyeyago, the fourth contender, is seen by many as simply a subordinate of the incumbent, whom he hand-picked to continue his legacy.
He is of late the one who represents the district chairman at most district functions as the LC5 rushes to do vote searching in Kigulu South.
Kyeyago still has to account for the decision by the district council to flex muscles with the Kyabazinga institution, when the district purpotedly grabbed the institution’s land and sold it.
The Prime minister (Katukiro) of Busoga kingdom Wilson Muwereza in January this year reacted angrily to the move through a strongly-worded letter copied to the lands ministry.
Kyeyago, who was Iganga town LC3 chief before 2006, did not leave behind any tangible development for the urban dwellers to be proud of.
Most of them question that if he failed to prove his worth with a mere town, is there hope for an entire district?