The candidates in the Busongora South parliamentary by-election have set priorities if they are elected next week. On Monday, the Electoral Commission nominated Mbaju Kathika of the National Unity Platform-NUP, Bernadette Businge of the Democratic Party-DP, and Alozious Kighema Baguma of the Forum for Democratic Change-FDC for the Busongora South parliamentary by-election in Kasese district.
The candidates, who spoke to URN shortly after their nominations, listed a number of priority areas, including improving agriculture, health, education, and land rights once they are elected. The DP candidate stated that agriculture mechanization will be prioritized so that farmers in the area can improve their productivity and produce pricing.
She noted that Busongora South is a food basket for the region, but unfortunately, there has been very little response to the farmer’s challenges. Businge will also focus on elevating women’s voices at a national level and improving the education of children.
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On several occasions, Alozious Kighema Baguma, the Forum Democratic Change-FDC candidate, wants to legislate on land rights, arguing that the constituency has for long been embroiled in land conflicts that on several occasions have led to the loss of lives and destruction of property.
The FDC candidate has also set out to prioritize the expansion of safe water coverage and improving the health sector in the area, which he argued has lagged behind when compared to other constituencies. If elected, Kighema will spearhead the freeing of Rwenzururu cultural leader Charles Wesley Mumere and the remaining royal guards who were arrested in 2016 during a joint security raid on Buhikira royal palace.
Mbaju told URN that the party manifesto speaks to better education and improved road infrastructure, which he said that he had started working on during his term of office.
Mbaju, on the other hand, reiterated his call for security forces in the district to refrain from interfering in local politics.
Doreen Izagiire, an independent candidate who was also nominated on Monday, has set out three main priorities, which are: improving unity among the Busongora community, improving the health and competitive education sector.
Kasese District Returning Officer, Ismael Atwijukire, said eleven aspirants picked nomination forms and four of them were nominated on Monday. Other candidates are scheduled to be nominated on Tuesday, with campaigns beginning on Wednesday.
Alice Kabahuma, an electorate from Muhokya town, demands that the successful candidate should focus on supporting the farmers with irrigation technology. She also feels that the by-election should have been between Mbaju, who petitioned, and Mujungu.
The parliamentary seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal nullified the election of NRM’s Mujungu last month on grounds that the elections were marred by gross irregularities. The three Justices of Appeal, led by Fredrick Egonda Ntende, overturned the decision of the High Court in Fort Portal and concurred with Thembo’s rival Jackson Kathika that there were irregularities at Katunguru Primary School, Katunguru Market, and Busunga Primary School polling stations in Kasese District.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has set August 18 as the day for the by-election.
