By Andrew Irumba
Bunyangabu District is the latest to be curved out of Kabarole District. Kabarole District has so far given birth to 5 Districts namely; Ntoroko,Kyegegwa,Kyenjojo,Kamwenge and now Bunyangabu District.
Over the past 2 decades, Bunyangabu politics have been characterized by god fathers who have manipulated every effort for fresh and young crop of leaders from village local council, District leadership to parliamentary representation. One the god fathers of the now new District Bunyangabu that you can’t avoid to mention when discussing,if it’s about the politics of Bunyangabu is MP Hon.Adolf Mwesige who also doubles as Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs. However,the new wave of youth emancipation by all odds is surely eating into this old adage…..
Here are 10 reasons why little known Lydia Kiiza could cause running nose to seasoned politicians,also known as poli-tricians.
1- Tied of political god fathers: The very first time Bunyangabu was declared a district and therefore elections for the new district were expected,little known Lydia contacted the ‘father’of the district for advice in regard to her ambitions to stand for woman mp. To the shock of her own self and her supporters, this god father of the district told her they (elders) had already drawn a sketch map of who would join them at the table of men to share their district cake, and that unfortunately her name was not on the list! This,and more is what the youths want to demystify in this election. That politics of ‘Apuuli aragiire’ must come to a sudden end at some point.
Infact,the people already defied it when they refused to support Peter Musinguzi in NRM primaries who had stood for LCV Chairmanship. It’s alleged that councilors were paid UGX 5m each by peter’s god father to elect him as an interim LCV Chairman until E/C could organize the district-wide elctions,which they succeeded in, but hardly had he enjoyed the seat for two weeks than The Electoral Commission rolled down the official election roadmap for. It’s said that the Nrm party voters used that opportunity to confirm their suspicion that peter had a god father whom they wanted to ‘punish’. So when it came to the main voting within the party, they all abandoned him since they had already confirmed their suspicion. Infact, James Mugarama garnered 18,367 votes over Peter Musinguzi’s 11,976 votes,taking the powerful ‘bull’ in the district by horns! “Peter made a big mistake to accept this minister to be behind him,we were punishing him,not peter as such” one of the Nrm voters told this reporter on phone. The 3rd aspirant,Elizabeth Nikuze got 4,896 votes.
2- Youths Numbers: Statistically, youths are the majority country wide. Youths form an average of 80% of the total population of Uganda and youngest population in the world, with 77% of its population being under 30 years of age.
Bunyangabu is not exceptional, the national census and household survey conducted on 27 August 2014 enumerated the population of Bunyangabu District (at that time Bunyangabu County in Kabarole District) at 171,292 people. Appx.67% are youth,this,if translated into politics would mean that youth have a bigger voice/stake in issues that affect their area than their counterparts. Due to continued sensitization about their need to participate in leadership positions of the country,youth are steadily realizing their potential, they might want to prove their worth in this coming election.
3- Lydia’s age and Beauty: Many may want to down play this reality,but have you ever asked your self why during elections, even visibly old candidates will visit the most dynamic graphics designer down town Naser road and one request they will make is ‘ensure I look young and beautiful/handsome’? You can qualify this point if you’re ardent supporter of H.E Yoweri Museveni and Rtd.Col.Dr.Kiiza Besigye. You also remember how Hon.Syliavia Rwabwogo’s (akanyana) beauty did magic for her win morethan anything else!
Lydia Kiiza doesn’t need any beauty enhancements (make ups),she is naturally beautiful and very young at 28yrs compared to her counterparts in the race.
4- Because Lydia is a youth,her fellow youth who are the majority feel they will have sent their own. Most people feel that an elderly Peace Regis Mutuuzo, a whole minister of State for Gender and Culture who also served in the office of the president can still be of great importance in her ministry and therefore sending Lydia to parliament will be supplementing and strengthening our district leadership by having more fresh ideas for the good of the new district.
5-Though most people fear to say it publically for fear of being interpreted as tribalistic,truth be told,it’s playing a very big role in the door to door underground ‘silent’ campaigns. Native Batooro feel they’ve been sidelined by other tribes in very aspects of leadership in their ‘own’ home ground. “Do you know that the native Batooro have been technically kicked out of leadership of their own area? Look at the top leadership of our sub-region. Look at Kamwenge,Kyenjojo,Kyegegwa, People of Mwenge just realized it late and coughed Tom Butime back to parliament, we’re on a systematic extinction like our historic ancestors; the Batembuzi and Bacwezi. So I was very excited when I had a Lydia Kiiza coming out” a very reserved elderly Muzei confided in this reporter when visited at his home.
Three candidates vying for woman Mp are Minister Peace Regis Mutuuzo from Kibiito on Nrm ticket, Dorothy Nyakaisiki (FDC) from Kabonero and Independent Lydia Kiiza from Buheesi Sub Counties respectively.
To be continued next Sunday for the last points..……………
