Frustration in Masaka as NUP releases final candidate list

Masaka, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |    Members of the National Unity Platform-NUP in Masaka district have rejected candidates selected to contest on the party ticket for the various leadership positions. 

The party’s candidates’ selection committee on Friday released the final list of flag bearers for parliamentary seats that had successfully gone through their vetting process. However, in Masaka district, the party members have rejected some of the nominees arguing that they are not a representation of their choices.

Those disputed include Harriet Nakiyemba, who was selected to contest for the Masaka Woman MP seat, Geoffrey Lutaaya for Kakuuto County in Kyotera district and Twaha Kagabo Muzeeyi who was selected as the official flagbearer for Bukoto South Constituency in Lwengo district.

But a group of NUP coordinators in Masaka led by Robert Kambugu Ssenyonga- the Party’s Publicity Secretary is disputing the choices of candidates blaming the vetting committee of failing to carry out due diligence before making decisions.

Ssenyoga has accused the committee that was sent to the field to evaluate the strength of the Aspirants for failing to perform the task, and instead, made resolutions based on guesswork. He says that the choices are not politically popular in the area and cannot win the positions they are aspiring for.

Steven Ngobya, a party mobilizer in the Masaka Subregion has blamed the party vetting committee for leaving out credible aspirants who would offer leadership of impact, once elected. He says should the party executive authorities fail to reverse some decisions of the vetting committee, they will be compelled to front and mobilize support for independent candidates.

The dissatisfied group is now demanding that the party repeats the vetting process to choose appropriate candidates for the parliamentary positions.

But Joel Ssenyonyi, the National Unity Platform-NUP Spokesperson has advised the disgruntled members to file their complaints with the party’s appeals committee that was instituted to handle disagreements arising out of candidates’ selection process.

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