By Spy Uganda
Igara West: The Minister of Local government Raphael Magyezi, who is also Member of Parliament for Igara West constituency, has quit the 2021 Member of Parliament race, after 12 news aspirants for the same seat mounted insurmountable pressure upon him-TheSpy Uganda has learnt.
After scrapping clauses that restricted the age of a Presidential candidate to 75 years, Magyezi, was rewarded with a cabinet position. However, this left his critiques warming up for the 2021 parliamentary elections vowing to oust him, alleging that he had lost support from his voters.
The latest information on our news desk is that Magyezi is no longer vying for the Igara West parliamentary race after succumbing to pressure from 12 aspirants that who are using his ‘age limit’ debacle to decampaign him.
“Yes, Magyezi has given up on the 12 men competing for the parliamentary race. I suspect he was forced to give up due to pressure from his voters and the aspirants who had started decampaigning him because of the age limit ordeal, which annoyed most of his voters,” a source from Magyezi’s camp said.
However, in response to the allegations, Apollo Kakonge, who is Magyezi’s close friend, noted that the Minister quit the race because he wants to concentrate on the ministerial duties.
“Yes, it’s true the Minister quit the race but the major reason is because he wants to concentrate and serve effectively his ministerial duties,” Kakonge said.
Another close source to Magyezi, said he chickened out due to pressure from Kasambya County MP Gaffa Mbwatekamwa, former contestant and director for JJ Community (a non-profit organisation) Horace Muhabuzi, the Growers tea factory board chairperson Adrine Kobusingye, among others.
Not only those but there is also Dr Nicholas Karuhanga, who runs a clinic in Ntungamo district, Nyabubare sub-county district Councillor Adam Kyakuwa and Hajji Umaru Muhanguzi, the deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Bundibugyo district.
Other aspirants are Muhanguz,i who was the Bushenyi District National Resistance Movement General Secretary before he was appointed RDC, Former contestant Onesmus Tumutegyereize, Robert Bahiga, Andy Yellow (Andrew) and Ruhamire Muhamma.
Observers say that there is expected to be perennial rivalry between Mbwatekamwa and Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere since these are the major candidates in the race.
Kabwegyere lost the Igara West seat to Magyezi in the September 2010 NRM primaries. He had occupied it for 10 years and also participated in the Constituent Assembly that made the 1995 Constitution.
Observers add that he benefited from different regimes, under various capacities. He has held many ministerial positions since the 1970s, whereby he also served under President Iddi Amin’s regime, during which he minister in charge of general duties in the Office of the Prime Minister in June 2016.
