The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The high number of independent candidates in Manafwa and Bududa districts has raised concern among National Resistance Movement-NRM party officials. According to the local party officials, almost all those who lost in the NRM primaries have bounced back as independents.
The party officials say the independent candidates have numerical strength and stand higher chances of trouncing the official candidates should the national NRM party leadership fail to convince them to stand down.
This comes a few days after President Yoweri Museveni who also doubles as the NRM party chairperson sanctioned a reconciliation committee to traverse the country to reunite the party members and ask those who lost in the primaries to withdraw their candidature.
However, majority of NRM leaning candidates in Manafwa and Bududa districts have declined to stand down in favour of the official candidates saying they were cheated in the primaries.
Charles Walimbwa Peke, the Manafwa district NRM chairperson says they are facing a challenge from independent candidates.
Base Catherine Wakwaale, the Bududa district NRM women league chairperson says independents are weakening the party because of their potential to divide the votes with the official candidates.
Mary Goretti Kitutu, the Energy and Mineral Development Minister and incumbent Manafwa district Woman MP says the return of the primary election losers as independents depicts a bad picture of the party.
She says that in the entire Bugisu region, it is only the State Minister of Cooperatives Gafabusa Welikhe who declared support for his rival after losing the primaries.
But Manafwa district NRM chairperson Charles Walimbwa Peke says the time for friendship with the independent candidates is over saying they will only support the official party candidates.
Addressing the party leaders, the Speaker of Parliament who also doubles as the second NRM National Vice Chairperson Rebecca Kadaga said although everyone has a right to associate and they can’t force anyone to support or belong to a party, the act of returning as independents after losing in the primaries isn’t viable and weakens multi-party in the country.
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