By Kampala Post Reporter
The National Resistance Movement (NRM) has reconciled rivals in Hoima district as the ruling party strategizes ahead of the Woman parliamentary by-election.
The by-election pitting NRM’s Harriet Busiinge Mugenyi against FDC’s Asinansi Nyakato who is also the joint opposition candidate is slated for September 26. The reconciliation is one of the last-minute moves NRM is making to reclaim the parliamentary seat amid heated campaigns that have attracted a number of opposition bigwigs to Hoima, a known ruling party stronghold to canvass support for the FDC flag bearer and the joint opposition candidate.
Former FDC President Dr. Kizza Besigye, ANT’s Gen Mugisha Muntu, People Power’s Robert Kyagulanyi, and DP’s Nobert Mao among others were in Hoima last week accompanying the opposition candidate Nyakato Asinansi to several campaign rallies.
Meanwhile in what is seen as a move to counter the opposition efforts and ensure victory for the party’s flag bearer, a number of top NRM officials have since camped in the district holding several meetings, including the one on Monday in which all losers in the party primaries declared their support for the flag bearer and urged their grass-root campaign coordinators who also attended the meeting, to do the same.
Although the party guidelines require losers in primary elections to rally behind the flag bearer, there were reports in Hoima that some were doing the contrary, an act which could cost the party election victory. The reconciliation meeting held at Kolping Hotel in Hoima town was chaired by Ambrose Mwesigye, the Mobilizer in the NRM National Chairman’s office and also former Hoima Deputy RDC.
During the meeting losers in the party elections including; Hoima Mayor Mary Grace Mugasa, Hoima Deputy Speaker Asha Kabaramagi and district councilors; Bernadette Plan and Naome Koojo, were reconciled with the party’s flag bearer Harriet Busiinge and they assured her of their support in the impending polls.
Mayor Grace Mugasa said, however, it was not about reconciliation but they are going by the NRM guidelines which require losers in the party primaries to rally behind the flag bearer. “We are in a party and it has a constitution to guide its operations and the conduct of members, so we are going by that because we are still members of NRM,” said Mugasa who emerged second in the party polls.
The move by NRM deals a blow to spirited efforts by the opposition to win the first Parliamentary seat in Hoima and the entire Bunyoro sub-region. Although the joint opposition candidate enjoys some support in Hoima town, those knowledgeable of the voting patterns in Hoima say the little support in town cannot threaten the NRM flag bearer, given the fact that majority votes are in villages where the ruling party enjoys commanding support.
President Yoweri Museveni who is also the NRM National Party Chairman is expected in the oil-rich district next week to campaign for the party’s official candidate. Hoima Woman Parliamentary seat fell vacant last year following the creation of Kikuube district, being carved out of Hoima and a decision by the sitting legislator Tophace Kaahwa Byagira to cross over to the new district.