Nakasongola demands better services for re-electing Museveni

Nakasongola, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Nakasongola County Member of Parliament and LC V chairperson have asked the National Resistance Movement to prioritize service delivery in the next five years if they are to retain support in the district.

Noah Mutebi Wanzala is among the two incumbent Members of Parliament on the National Resistance Movement ticket who were re-elected in greater Luweero districts. The other incumbent MP who survived is Sarah Najjuma for the Nakaseke district Woman MP seat.

Mutebi explains that although he and NRM candidates including President Yoweri Museveni won elections in Nakasongola district, there has been a decline in support as residents protest poor service delivery.

In the 2021 presidential elections, Museveni’s popularity in Nakasongola district declined to 65% from 84.46% which he scored in the 2016 elections. The NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu made inroads and obtained 33% of the total votes cast in the district.

Mutebi explains that residents in Nakasongola are bitter over brutal operations against illegal fishing on Lake Kyoga, rampant land grabbing, poor road network and health services among others.

Mutebi said he survived the defeat over the Mercy of God and being outspoken on the issues in Parliament.

Mutebi has now urged the government to address the issue of land grabbing through buying off landlords, increasing essential medicines in health centers and tarmacking roads among others.

Sam Kigula, the LC V chairperson of Nakasongola district said that NRM ought to improve services in the district because residents have supported it for a long time.

Kigula said that NRM ought to give back services to Nakasongola for standing with it and stop land grabbing which is slowly forcing people to hate the government.

Kigula also asked the government to streamline fishing on Lake Kyoga to ensure the residents from Nakasongola benefit from it before registering those from other districts.

James Kaweesi, a resident of Nakasongola district also hinted at poverty among locals as another issue that they want to be addressed in the new term.

Kaweesi explains several residents are languishing in abject poverty and Lake Kyoga which is among the key sources of income has been under a ban for years till recently when it was lifted.

Recently Godfrey Kiwanda, the NRM Vice Chairperson for the Central region met party leaders and flag bearers to evaluate their performance in the 2021 general elections.

Kiwanda said that the elections were like a mirror and the message sent by voters in the Greater Luweero district will be considered after the evaluation.

Kiwanda was also quoted asking the leaders to take the people’s concerns serious saying it’s not easy for the government to be in power if it has no support within the Buganda region.

According to Uganda National Housing and Population Census 2014 and National Household surveys, Nakasongola is among the poorest districts in Central Uganda.

Museveni lost support in Luweero after scoring 27.94 %, whereas his arch-rival Kyagulanyi got 70.45%. In Nakaseke, Museveni’s popularity dropped to 53% whereas Kyagulanyi got 45%.

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URN