By Peter Sserugo
The National Unity Platform (NUP) has fronted its secretary for youths in Western region, Mr Moses Aguda as their flagbearer in the forthcoming Hoima by-election to fill the LCV chairman seat which fell vacant after the death of the former chairman, Kadiri Kirungi who perished in a road crash on March 17.
While unveiling Mr Aguda at the NUP headquarters on Wednesday, the party president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi noted that although the recent by-elections have been marred by a number of election malpractices, NUP will continue to participate in all elections because it is a good mobilization channel for the party.
“We all know that elections in Uganda are compromised by the regime, and it is intended to ensure that people reach a point of giving up on participating in elections,” Mr Kyagulanyi said.
“To our People in Hoima we are coming, we don’t care whether Mr Aguda will be declared a winner or not, but people should be ready to receive the message of change and liberation from the current regime,” he added.
Addressing journalists, Mr Aguda urged the people of Hoima not to look at this by-election as a national election and therefore, be ready to guard the NUP victory jealously from the campaign to the tally centre.
“Opposition has won several elective positions in Hoima during the previous elections but a few have been declared due to cases of vote rigging and other malpractices. But we have mastered the tricks they have been using to rig our victory and they will not work in this by-election,” Mr Aguda said.
Among others, Mr Aguda promised that on winning the district chairman seat, he would start with strategies to end rampant land grabbing, harsh fishing conditions on the lake, and inequality in the allocation of jobs in the ongoing oil mining project in the Albertine oil fields.
Mr Joel Ssenyonyi, the NUP spokesperson said the flagbearer has been tested and proved as the best candidate for the party.
In the September 14 by-election, Mr Aguda will face off with other candidates from other political parties including the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) which will announce its flagbearer on Friday after the scheduled party primary election.
The seven candidates competing for the NRM LCV party flag include Mr Uthuman Mugisha Mubarak who is a son of the deceased chairperson. Others are; Mr Vicent Savanna Muhumuza, Mr John Kwemara, Mr Samuel Kyakadongo, Mr Mosese Mutagwa and Mr Yunus Mugabe.
