In the circumstances he said, he is going to lobby for the district, fight land grabbing and corruption which, Muyanja observed, has compromised all round development.
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Mukono Municipality member of parliament Betty Nambooze Bakireke and his old-time political ally NUP flag bearer for Mukono district chairmanship Johnson Ssenyonga Muyanja have parted ways on the stand of NUP supporters who defected on being denied party cards at various levels.
While Nambooze is quoted as having advised dissatisfied NUP supporters to discard the party and turn their attention to the grassroot people by standing as independent candidates, Muyanja is of the view that these people should instead rally behind selected flag bearers and join forces to forge ahead.
In his post nomination press interview on Thursday, Muyanja implored NUP supporters who had been rejected to stand with him saying, “NUP is a party for unity, if you fall off track, you will fall heavily and you may never be able to recover from the fall”.
Munna NUP Kyembuga Florence K’abala ku Munna NRM Haji Ssemakula Kaliibwa!
Nambooze however expressed a divergent view when he recently posted on a social media handle a message calling on those who lost the flag to turn to what she called ‘people power’, explaining that bowing to dictates of people in power is counterproductive in the search for service delivery.
She argued that high profile NUP members in the district were bent on bribing the card issuing authorities with money extorted from aspirants, with the agenda of having weak candidates fielded to the advantage of the said party officials.
Nambooze lamented that it is unfortunate that weak people were handed the flag to give a leeway to weak candidates and in the long run give an MP aspirant and a mayoral aspirant a walkover in their aspirations come 2026.
The legislator who was speaking in apparent reference to fellow NUP supporters Mukono district MP Hanifah Nabukeera and mayoral candidate Robert Peter Kabanda, Nambooze said it is irrational for a woman MP and a person seeking a mayoral seat to bribe authorities to give cards to weak candidates for councilors, all in the hope of clearing their personal passage to victory.
Bodyguard wa Nambooze Gwe Bammye Kkaadi ya NUP Yeesimbyeyo nga Talina Kibiina
As it is, voters are at cross roads, not decided whether to obey Hon. Nambooze or Hon Muyanja, and many are of the view that the two should harmonize their opinions ahead of elections, to clear the air and erode the confusion caused.
Standing on an NUP ticket, Muyanja, when asked why he opted to stand at the district and not for parliament, a position he initially showed interest in, he responded that services are at the grassroots and not in parliament.
He has added that politicians have stormed parliament and left a vacuum down at the districts where he said there is a bigger need for services.
In the circumstances he said, he is going to lobby for the district, fight land grabbing and corruption which, Muyanja observed, has compromised all round development.
“I have ever been in parliament and I know how to go about lobbying formalities for lower local governments”, he assured voters.
Muyanja who was president of the Mayors’ association and mayor for Mukono Municipality for many years, said he is a student of local governance of the Israeli Galileo College, and so has a wide experience necessary for fulfilling necessities for running the district.
Muyanja also pledged to devise all avenues of fighting youth unemployment, arguing that because they form the biggest percentage of the population, finding them placement in the job market is of paramount importance for a developing society.
He was flanked by his seconder Hilda Naddunga Muyanja who thanked NUP President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu for picking on them to stand in the district, and thanked the voters for expressing support for his husband.
Others nominated today include; Catherine Adoi, an independent candidate for Nama sub-county contesting to join the district council, Martha Nassaazi (NUP) who wishes to retain her seat as a councillor representing Nakifuma-Naggalama Town-Council, Joram Kabali (NUP), the current Mukono district vice chairperson who has been nominated as an aspirant for Naggojje sub-county.
Others are; Faisal Muwanga (independent), for Gulu-Ntawo Ward, Achiles Lwembawo Nsubuga (Independent) for Nantabulirirwa, Aida Naggita of Justice Forum for Nama sub-county and many others.