“Lukooya was the chairperson for Mukono district for two consecutive terms until he resorted to vie for a parliamentary seat in Nakifuma where he was rejected. After being out of office for ten years, how can you force him onto Mukono people again?” Awuye asked.
Mukono district National Resistance Movement (NRM) Chairperson, Haji Haruna Ssemakula and his deputy, Yusuf Sulaiman Awuye have disagreed over the latter’s withdrawal from the race for choosing the district chairmanship flag bearer ahead of the 2026 general elections.
During a media briefing on Thursday morning in his office in Butebe Cell in Mukono Central Division, Mukono Municipality, Haji Ssemakula told journalists that he had conducted a harmonization meeting for the three candidates vying for the NRM party flag for Mukono district chairperson and that the two had agreed to stand down in favour of Francis Lukooya Mukoome as the sole candidate.
The three candidates vying for the party flag include; Lukooya, Awuye and Jimmy Lugoloobi.
Ssemakula said that though, the harmonization meeting which was also attended by the Mukono Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Hassan Kasibante, held in the RDC’s boardroom, ended very late, it registered amicable results.
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“We had smooth deliberations though some of the candidates were being pressed by their agents to withdraw from the engagement,” he said.
He promised to talk to the national party chairman who is President Yoweri Museveni, to find some job placement for those who opted out in favour of one candidate.
Contacted for comment however, Awuye dismissed claims that he had withdrawn from the race, and mobilized his voters to turn up in big numbers to vote for him.
He said there were attempts to coerce him to sign a purported memorandum of understanding that he had withdrawn from the race in favour of Lukooya, which claims he outrightly denied.
He said he had been hoodwinked into going to the RDC’s office where he was given promises of a fat appointment as a chairperson of the District Land Board, but that he turned down the offer arguing that he would be betraying his voters.
“I decided to stand and reverse the confusion in the NRM leadership in Mukono district. My intention is to improve the party’s outlook in the eyes of the public; it is Haji Ssemakula who gave me the idea of standing and I cannot buy his last-minute decision to ask me to stand down because I have my rights as well,” Awuye angrily said.
He further said that his fellow contender, Jimmy Lugoloobi was promised a post at the District Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in return for standing down for Lukooya.
“Lukooya was the chairperson for Mukono district for two consecutive terms until he resorted to vie for a parliamentary seat in Nakifuma where he was rejected. After being out of office for ten years, how can you force him onto Mukono people again?” Awuye asked.
He added, “I received threats from Haji Ssemakula that even if I win, I will never be declared winner and I have the voice recordings. I will petition the party EC chairman Dr. Tanga Odoi and the National Chairman, President Museveni if this happens.”
He maintained that if Lukooya is as strong as they portray him, let him come out boldly and they tussle it out and let the best man win, instead of forcing opponents to stand down for him.
Awuye however added that if Ssemakula continues to prevail on him, he will be forced to tell the people whatever transpired in their meeting in which he asked him to join Mukono politics and why.