In the election for the district youth leader, Hakim Ssenfuka who lost to Abdul Malik Kiberu cried foul, but his pleas did not deter the polling official Benon Ssekannyo from announcing Kiberu the elected chairperson of the district youth league.
Mukono district National Resistance Movement (NRM) vice chairperson, Haji Haruna Ssemakula was on Friday declared the unopposed victor from the party mainstream elections, after his boss, Haji Twahir Ssebaggala walked away in protest after what he called absolute election irregularities in the exercise.
Hajji Ssebaggala seemed to have set a precedent because also the long standing district party treasurer, Haji Umar Ddumba, his close ally also sneaked away from the election ground at Mukono High School, moments after the ouster of his colleague Haji Ssebaggala.
After Ssemakula’s declaration as the duly elected NRM district chairperson, elections for his deputy raged on with the battle between former Mukono district chairperson, Andrew Ssenyonga, journalist Gasheegu Mulimira, former Nama district councillor Fred Musonge, Haji Badru Kitaka Kavulu, former district councilor representing Naggojje sub-county, Davis Lukyamuzi and Yusuf Awuye, a retired FIFA Referee and the current Confederation of African Football (CAF) commissioner.
Vvulugu mu Kulonda Kwa NRM e Mukono, Abadde Ssentebe Ssebaggala Adduse mu Kalulu
At this point, former district chairman, Ssenyonga failed to balance the election pressure and decided to opt out of the race. Chairman Semakula’s attempts to sweet talk Awuye to drop out too fell on deaf ears and consequently, he was elected Vice Chairman, replacing Ssemakula in a seat he has occupied for a decade.
In the election for the district youth leader, Hakim Ssenfuka who lost to Abdul Malik Kiberu cried foul, but his pleas did not deter the polling official Benon Ssekannyo from announcing Kiberu the elected chairperson of the district youth league.
There was drama in the election of the treasurer. The outgoing candidate who has been the treasurer for some years, had deserted the place after the loss of his friend Haji Ssebaggala. Two people including Fred Gonja and Juma Kasimaggwa stood for the post and waited for voters to line up, but immediately, the outgoing district party spokesperson, Mark Kabunga volunteered to represent Haji Ddumba, which action was rejected by the voters even when Haji Ssemakula too dropped Gonja whom he had first given support to also stand in for the absent candidate, Haji Ddumba.
The freshly elected chairman Ssemakula tried to convince Kasimaggwa to step down for Haji Ddumba’s representative but angry voters turned their guns against him, telling him that since they had elected him, he should leave them to exercise their right. Ssemakula conceded and Kasimaggwa was elected treasurer.
The de facto NRM woman parliamentary MP flag bearer, Margaret Nakavubu trounced Vivian Kalule Kobusingye as the Mukono district NRM secretary general. Nakavubu garnered 192 votes against Kalule’s 33.
Ahmed Kakande beat Fred Balenzi as the elderly people’s representative, and he said this was paying him for the good services he has been offering to the elderly.
Hakim Kyeswa trounced the veteran journalist Steven Musoke as the party’s district spokesperson with 153 votes against 34. Other contenders on the same post who lost were; Travis Boogere and Kateregga Mivule.
Juliet Nassuuna, the Mukono district representative for the NRM’s Office of the National Chairman was elected woman league head after beating Samalie Musenero, a former woman councilor representing Kasawo sub-county.
Benon Ssekanyo who oversaw the elections said he had done his level best to ensure that freedom and justice prevail, and added that those who walked away in protest have every right to do what they did.
However, some of the angry party members put the blame for the messy elections on Ssekanyo’s incompetence and failure to manage the two rival camps of Ssemakula and Ssebaggala.