Museveni, Kigongo, Kadaga, unopposed

Amama Mbabazi morale-boosts his supporters during the campaigns at Namboole stadiumAmama Mbabazi morale-boosts his supporters during the campaigns at Namboole stadium

                                  Amama Mbabazi morale-boosts his supporters during the campaigns at Namboole stadium

By Milton Olupot and Barbara Among


SECURITY minister Amama Mbabazi was yesterday headed for a clear victory in the highly contested election for post of secretary general of the ruling National Resistance Movement.

Over 15,000 delegates gathered at Namboole stadium first endorsed President Yoweri Museveni as the party’s flag-bearer in next February’s presidential elections.
Provisional results announced by the NRM electoral commission chairperson, Felicitus Magomu, showed Mbabazi was ahead of his three opponents, including the Vice-President Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, by a wide margin.

The acrimonious poll was characterised by accusations of manipulation, vote rigging and nepotism.

Other contenders were Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, Makerere University lecturer Elijah Mushemeza and Lwemiyaga MP Theodore Sekikuubo.

Candidates traded accusations at each other, forcing the party chairman, President Yoweri Museveni, to intervene time and again during their campaign speeches.

Otafiire, Bukenya, Ssekikubo and Mushemeza accused the incumbent of failing to run the NRM secretariat, messing up the primary elections, employing his family in party positions, not being accessible and scrambling for so many positions in the government and in the party.

The heat was turned on when Otafiire accused Mbabazi and the NRM electoral commission of rigging the process by failing to avail the candidates with the register of delegates. Otafiire also said the genuine delegates had been locked out and the wrong ones allowed in.

“Those contesting for positions are the same ones organising the elections. How free is this process?” he asked.

Waving two different accreditation cards, Otafiire asked Museveni: “Which of these cards will be used?”

One of the cards contained names and bore photos of the holder and the other had no identification.

He said Mbabazi had paid delegates less allowances than they were supposed to receive. Earlier, Mbabazi had reported to Museveni that a candidate was maligning his name by alleging that he had pocketed part of the allowances.

“I was the one who said it and I am going to repeat it here that delegates got less money than they were supposed to receive,” said Otafiire.

Ssekikubo accused Mbabazi of placing his family members to run the delegates conference. “It can’t be a party of one family, wife on women’s league and daughter as head of youth. We need clean hands to lead the party. I have clean hands,” said Ssekikubo.

Mbabazi vehemently denied that he had pocketed the delegates allowances, saying Otafiire was simply uninformed.

Magomu had an uphill task explaining to the candidates that the register was genuine and no rigging would take place.

“We are going to use the registers and not the cards around their necks. We have asked the district chairpersons and administrative secretaries of each district to go through the register and they have confirmed that those are their delegates.

When it came campaign time, vote buying was the norm contrary to the party’s rule. Candidates openly dished out money. The delegates scrambled for the spoils as campaign agents sorted out their votes. Money, T-shirts and sodas exchanged hands. The voting process got underway at about 4:30pm.

The positions of deputy secretary general was contested for by Dorothy Hyuha, the incumbent, Rose Namayanja, who was said to be in the lead, and Jacob Oulanyah. Betty Bigombe stepped down for Oulanyah.

The deputy treasurer position drew five candidates including the incumbent, Singh Katongole, Henry Banyenzaki, Dr. Noah Byenkya, Stephen Masinde and Davidson Serunjogi.

For the western regional vice-chairperson post, Brig. Matayo Kyaligonza was poised to retain his position. He competed against MP Chris Baryomunsi and Charles Asiimwe.

Karamoja region was poised to elect its first female regional chairperson, Janet Okorimoe, who was by press time in the lead. In Kampala region, Muhamad Nsereko was in the lead followed by former MP Francis Babu and Keneth Tukwekiriza.

In Central region, former MP Mulindwa Birimumaso was in the lead, closely followed by Abdul Naduli and Muyanja Mbabaali.

Dokolo MP Okot Ogong stood down for businessman Sam Engola for the position of vice-chairperson the northern region. This left five people in the race, including incumbent Lt Gen. Moses Ali. The race was, however, between Engola and energy minister Hillary Onek, who was poised to win.

In a surprise move, Kampala mayor Al Hajji Nasser Sebaggala walked in as the voting went on. It was not clear under what circumstances he was attending the meeting.