2021 polls: Minister Gume faces four rivals

The battle lines between the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the Opposition political parties are being drawn for next year's general election.

In many constituencies, incumbent MPs are worried about those who have made their intentions public, to replace them. In our ongoing weekly series of analyses examining the aspirants and the issues that are likely to influence voter choices, Charles Kakamwa and Umaru Kashaka look at Bulamogi North West constituency in Kaliro district, where momentum is high as the incumbent, who is also state minister for co-operatives, Fredrick Gume, seeks reelection against three challengers

Bulamogi North West was part of the greater Bulamogi county, which comprised the entire Kaliro district, until 2015, when it was carved out.

It consists of Nawaikoke town council and three sub-counties of Nawaikoke, Bukamba, and Nansololo.

Most of its residents are subsistence farmers, with agriculture as their main source of livelihood.

However, like many constituencies in Busoga subregion, Bulamogi North West has poor access to social services, such as education, health, safe water, and transport.

Roads like the one from Kaliro town council to Buyende and Kamuli through Nawaikoke become impassable during rains, especially the swampy sections and this hampers not only the health services but also the other sectors of development.

The entire constituency is almost only served by Nawaikoke Health Centre III since the other health centres II are almost nonfunctional.

"Patients move for almost 20km seeking services at Nawaikoke Health Centre III. It is always congested and, therefore, cannot serve as expected," Peter Kiramago, a political observer in the area, said.

Though government policy stipulates one health centre III per every sub-county, Bukamba, Nansololo and Nawaikoke sub-counties are reliant on one health centre III.

The education sector is said to also be limping. Most schools have poor infrastructure and are always among the worst-performing in national examinations. In the recently released 2019 Primary Leaving Examinations results, less than five of the 833 candidates in Primary Seven passed in division one.

In Buvulunguti Primary School, for instance, of the 109 pupils who sat for the examinations, none passed in division one, while at Namawa Primary School, only one of the 103 candidates passed in division one.

Observers say the environment in which children study in the constituency is appalling.

Few homes are still connected to the electricity grid, but a source intimated that Gume has lobbied Government through the rural electrification agency, to extend power to rural areas.

Residents of Bukamba sub county, which borders Lake Kyoga, accuse law enforcement officers in addition to several other impediments in the fishing industry.

Bulamogi is generally a dry area, so whoever promises to fix this problem in their manifesto, for instance through the provision of irrigation facilities or construction of water dams, will be speaking to the people's hearts.

Also, Bulamogi it is said, recognises their hereditary chief, Edward Columbus Wambuzi, as the Busoga king and not William Gabula Nadiope, so whoever intends to seek leadership there must pay allegiance to Prince Wambuzi.

In 2016, former environment state minister Flavia Munaaba, who was the Kaliro Woman MP was accused by voters of failing to convince Government that Wambuzi was the duly elected Kyabazinga of Busoga.

She eventually lost the seat but is reportedly making attempts to recapture it. Bulamogi County MP Kenneth Lubogo had to put up a spirited fight to survive the onslaught.

Seat attracts four

The contest for the constituency MP seat has so far attracted the interests of four people. They include the incumbent, Gume, former Bulamogi MP George Patrick Kasajja, Forum for Democratic Change's Yusuf Kiige and Eric Koodi, a final year student of Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences at Kyambogo University.

However, Bulamogi North West is one area where NRM still enjoys massive support, with almost all elected leaders subscribing to the ruling party.

So, whoever is chosen NRM flag-bearer stands high chances of winning the elections. Observers say the main battle could easily come from Gume and Kasajja.

The two, it is said, have significant support compared to the other aspirants and have been mobilizing grassroot support.

Gume is a regular attendant at community activities and recently officiated at the launch of Bulamogi Northwest constituency Savings and Credit Co-operative Society, where he contributed money towards its development activities.

His close associates say he also contributes between sh30,000 and sh50,000 towards burial expenses of every member of the constituent that dies, as long as he is informed. Sunday Vision could not independently verify this claim.

Who Kasajja is

Kasajja is said to have retired from public service, and is attending public functions more frequently nowadays and donates when there is need.

He also supports sports activities by donating items like balls and uniforms to sports teams in different villages, which analysts have interpreted as preparing the ground for his bid.

When the constituency was created, it was widely believed that Kasajja would easily win its MP seat, having previously represented the greater Bulamogi in Parliament on the NRM ticket and having initiated several development projects in the area, some of which are still visible, to date.

However, as Kasajja and his supporters contemplated strategies of capturing the newly created seat, Gume unexpectedly stormed the political scene.

Despite having roots in Bulamogi, Gume has spent most of his life in Jinja district, where he has served twice as the LC5 chairperson (2001-2006/2011-2016). In the run-up to the 2016 elections, he indicated an interest in the Kagoma County MP seat in Jinja and had already done enough groundwork.

What prompted his change of mind at the ‘last minute' is not clear, but his actions took many by surprise, since he was raised in Kivubuka village, Budondo sub-county (Kagoma County) and studied at Kivubuka Primary School, Jinja.

Sunday Vision has learnt that he was born in Bulamogi before the family shifted to Jinja.

In the NRM primaries in 2015, Gume triumphed over his archival, Kasajja, but the latter, being dissatisfied with the electoral process petitioned the party's electoral commission in Kampala.

But, in the end, Gume retained the NRM flag. Displeased with the outcome, Kasajja contested as an independent candidate but lost. Gume garnered 10,702 votes, Kasajja 8,951, Richard Bamukobeire of Uganda Federal Alliance polled 83, while Yahya Abdallah Mohammed (independent) bagged 22 votes. Kasajja filed a petition in the High Court in Jinja, which upheld Gume's victory. He petitioned the Court of Appeal, but still lost and Gume retained the seat. Efforts to get a comment from Kasajja were futile by press time.

When Sunday Vision contacted Gume, he sounded confident of victory due to his record of service to the constituents.

"I have accomplished several projects in the area. I got scared of Kasajja before because he had been an MP and a Constituent Assembly delegate," he said.