NRM officials worried about members opting to run as independents

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The increasing number of National Resistance Movement-NRM party members opting to run as independents in Mukono district in the next general election is giving the party officials headache.

The officials are worried that the decision by the party members to go independent will split party support and affect their efforts to win as many positions as possible.

Among those giving the party officials headache is Micdad Mulimira who lost his bid for the NRM flag for the Mukono mayoral seat to Dr. Daisy Ssonko and the incumbent LC 5 chairperson Andrew Ssenyonga and his vice chairperson Steven Mufuuwa who lost to Haji Haruna Ssemakule and Eva Nantongo respectively.

About 40 percent of the losers in the NRM primaries have decided to contest as independents and have already produced campaigns posters. Sserugga Lubega, the Mukono district NRM administrator faults the aspirants for making haste decisions which he says are likely to affect the party.

Twahil Ssebaggala, the Mukono district NRM party chairperson wonders why the losers have decided to run yet the primary elections were peaceful. He asks the losers to calm down and return to the party.

But Andrew Ssenyonga, the incumbent Mukono LC V chairperson says the party betrayed him when they accepted to declare his opponent as the winner of the primaries and ignored his complaints of electoral malpractice.

Steven Mufuuwa accuses the party leadership of sectarianism. He claims that since the entire executive committee is dominated by members of one religion, he didn’t mention and tribesmen, personnel feelings and interests became inevitable.

“Since they confirmed that they no longer need us, we also have nothing to do in their party,” Mufuuwa said. Mukono isn’t the only district to register election losers threatening to run as independents following the contested NRM primary elections.

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