Youth Elections: Why NRM won Mpuuga's backyard in Masaka?

POLITICS|YOUTH ELECTIONS

MASAKA - The elections for the parish youth committees were held on Wednesday across the country and the unofficial provisional results showed the ruling party was again tipped to dominate the youth structure.

In Masaka City and district, the provisional results showed the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party has maintained its lead in the youth council elections, taking advantage of the sharp rift between the Democratic Party (DP) and The National Unity Platform (NUP) camps in the area.

The Opposition in Masaka is split into various rival camps allied to the different politicians, particularly Denis Mukasa Mbidde (DP) and the Masaka Municipality MP Mathias Mpuuga (NUP), who has mobilised DP supporters to massively defect to NUP.

The elections were relatively peaceful, apart from a few violent incidents in Nyendo and the central division, according to the Masaka District Internal Security Officer (DISO), Lt Andrew Kandiho. There were some complaints of voter bribery.

The NRM party won in both Katwe and Butego parishes in Masaka City. Mpuuga, who owns a home in Soweto, Katwe-Butego division, under Masaka City, was originally the People Power regional co-ordinator for the greater Masaka. He was recently named the NUP vice president for Buganda.

NRM registered wins in parishes of Kimaanya, Ssenyannge and Katwe. The party also had the upper hand in Masaka City, by press time. 

"This is a great stride for the NRM party in the Opposition stronghold of Masaka. Winning in Mpuuga's home areas means a lot to us," Katumba Ssegawa, the NRM party chairperson for Masaka City, said.

NRM defeated the Opposition with 53.2% in the recently concluded village youth council elections, registering victories in nine out of the 13 villages. NUP picked up 37.8%, DP 1.27% and independents 7.7%.