47 submit forms ahead of MP nominations in Kampala

A total of 47 Member of Parliament aspirants in Kampala have submitted their credentials to the Electoral Commission (EC) for verification ahead of nomination on Thursday and Friday.

This was revealed by Fred Muwaya, the district returning officer for Kampala, at their offices in Ntinda, a Kampala suburb.

Kampala is made of five divisions, which have 10 slots for directly elected MPs, including Kampala district Woman MP.

These divisions are Kampala Central, Nakawa West and East, Makindye West and East, Rubaga North and South, Kawempe North and South.

"We expect about 100 contestants for MP seats in Kampala," Muwaya said, warning all the aspirants to put their academic papers right to avoid embarrassment on the nomination days.

The EC changed the nomination days for MPs from October 12-13, to October 15- 16.

Meanwhile, former 2005 housing state minister and Kampala central MP Capt. Francis Babu and former Makindye division councillor Francis Lubowa were elected as vice-chairperson and chairperson respectively for the Kampala district older persons committee on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket.

The election was organised by the EC at the Ntinda office, where the candidates contesting on opposition political parties pulled out of the race, giving NRM a landslide victory.

Others who were unopposed are Henry Baguma, a journalist working with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (publicity secretary), Margret Ssali (treasurer) and John Mary Byaruhanga was elected general secretary for Kampala.

According to Muwaya, the group will form a college to elect their leaders at the district or city level.

Those elected to the Kampala district older persons committee will be expected to participate in the regional delegates conferences to elect the four older persons' MPs.

"They will again attend a national delegates conference to elect the national female MP between January 10 and February 8, next year," Muwaya said.