By Mulengera Reporters
Having resolved to move faster and release the list of MP slots flag bearers earlier that had initially been anticipated, the white smoke is expected to emerge from Kavule anytime soon. This has become necessary because the NUP Presidential Candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has to commence his campaigns on Monday 29th September and it would be ideal for him to campaign with and introduce his MP candidates wherever he goes canvassing for his own support.
This simply means that as early as this coming weekend, the first part of the list may have to be released so that the flag bearers are known as the party president commences countrywide campaign tours. Sources close to the EMC-spearheaded selection and determination of flag bearers have given us a glimpse into what the list was reading like as of Thursday evening.
And from our interaction with these very knowledgeable, well briefed and well placed Kavule insiders it has emerged that the following finally have the flag and these will smile from ear to ear the moment the list is formally released. The list, as of Thursday evening, was reading as follows (though it’s subject to a few mild modifications at the two final meetings the apex party leadership intends to have before signaling Chemutai’s EMC to officially release the same):
FULL LIST:
Zaharah Luyirika irretrievably has the ticket for Kampala Woman MP seat at the expense of the incumbent Shamim Malende who has been disregarded by majority of key decision-makers inside NUP. Malende had largely been unwanted and the recent public spatting she had with her husband only emboldened the decision by those determined to get rid of her.
She craved publicity by going after her husband on social media and got plenty of it but Kavule considered that more damaging than helpful. Kavule had always suspected foul play in her sickness, something her estranged husband corroborated in his social media interviews as he pushed back after Malende pulled the rag under his feet.
Zahara is considered more grounded at Magere with Barbie being her good ally, at Kavule and also among Kunga structures and foot soldiers too. Being vocal and visible on social media is the only indicator on which Malende beats her, according to the latest EMC ranking. Kavule is also convinced that the bad publicity resulting from the tantrums Malende will predictably be throwing around will be short lived and life will move on. They are also convinced no one is going to be able to prevail over a flag bearer with the umbrella at that level in the case of Kampala.
Medard Segona remains on the list for Busiro East and the desire to isolate and disarm the Mpuuga group is part of the reason why Mr. Wine wants to retain Segona. He fears that being an incumbent with capacity, he can remain in the race as a NUP-leaning independent and thereby creating confusion which NRM can exploit to turn tables.
NUP is convinced that, even when he has become unpopular having been an incumbent since 2011, Segona can surely win back for them that seat much more easily than Mathias Walukagga. There is also conviction that Walukagga (who Magere instigated to scare Segona who was going too far backing Mpuuga while contradicting the party) can be easier to manage and convince not to run as an independent in case it’s not him.
Even if he insisted on standing as an independent, Walukagga’s damage would be easier to manage and circumvent. Ironically, money bags Emmanuel Matovu Magoola is number three and can only get the flag if something awry wrong happens to Segona and Walukagga rendering both of them ineligible.
Lawyer Stephen Sekigozi, originally of DP and a very good personal friend of Bobi Wine, has the flag for Busiro South having been rated better and higher than his opponents on all indicators that NUP bases on to choose flag bearers. Matia Lwanga Bwanika and Charles Matovu, the incumbent, have been disregarded as not suitable nor good enough for the contemporary political times. Bwanika will most likely be fighting back as an independent and in the process causing plenty of tidal waves for Kavule.
As of Thursday evening, lawyer Kastar Bukenya was in the lead for Busiro North MP after all EMC dossiers authored on the constituency consistently showed that voters were unwilling to easily accept incumbent Paul Nsubuga and the other aspirant Ronald Semaganda on grounds that he is alien without adequate history of politically operating in the area.
It has been accepted that Bukenya stands highest chances having been more experienced and standing in Busiro since the days of Gilbert Bukenya. His only problem is that he was among those old UYDs who took long to accept Kyagulanyi’s opposition leadership but Kavule, which is desperate not to lose even one of the 55 seats it currently has in Buganda, has decided to overlook that and front him.
Kampala lawyer Kenneth Paul Kakande is also on the list of those Bobi Wine badly wants to be on the MP ballot on behalf of NUP except that the constituency hasn’t yet been harmonized and agreed upon. It’s going to be one of the surprising aspects of that list because many aren’t aware that he ever expressed interest.
Knowledgeable insiders say that Bobi likes KK because of his eloquence, humility and commitment to the struggle. That KK is being considered for Nakawa East in case Mufumbiro doesn’t get released, Makindye Ssabagabo where David Sserukenya could be sacrificed to create room for KK and also for Busiro North where he (KK) has a country home and farm along Hoima Road.
For Nyendo Mukungwe MP Seat, Sebina Gyavira Lubowa is also neck to neck with lawyer Sam Muyizi and the former Makerere assistant bursar has managed to have an edge over Muyizi and Alice Nannungi partly because of the personal support of Greater Masaka NUP Coordinator Mayor Florence Namayanja, investing a lot of money and also for being the strongest on the ground-though Kyagulanyi personally would prefer Muyizi.
It’s also believed that Muyizi would be easier to convince to move on as opposed to coming as an independent in case he doesn’t get the flag. Sebina too can be prevailed upon to let go but in his case, the pain would be greater having abdicated his Makerere job which he may never get back.
Nannungi has already been talked to by emissaries from Kavule but rejected proposals to go for Masaka City Woman MP. This created a vacuum which Rose Nalubowa has effectively occupied and is going to get the NUP flag to face off with DA’s Juliet Kakande, on almost a silver platter.
Brenda Nabukenya is staying put as NUP flag bearer for Luwero woman MP Seat as Euginia Nassolo, a business lady and real estate owner with profound connections at Mengo and Rubaga Cathedral, takes Rubaga South. A decision has been taken to disappoint and disregard Aloysius Mukasa, the incumbent, who Kavule has realized will be hard brand to sell to voters in the area yet they don’t want to gamble for fear that failure to deploy the appropriate candidate could hand the victory to Musa Mbaziira, the shrewd and well-oiled young man from the NRM.
Even after donating an ambulance to the party, among other groceries, Adam Smith isn’t getting the ticket for Rubaga South on grounds that he is new and no one has compelled him to make those generous donations. He will be asked to wait just like Nassolo has been in the NUP waiting lounge for now five years.
Desire to isolate Mpuuga and portray Kyagulanyi as reconciliatory, forgiving and accommodative has caused Kavule to include Veronica Nanyondo on the list of flag bearers so that she carries on as Bukomansimbi Woman MP for another five years. It’s also true that Ben Kiwanuka’s granddaughter has failed to get the momentum even after Kavule pulled Faridah Nakabugo back to Kampala by making her the NUP flag bearer for female Lord Councilor Rubaga South.
Kavule believes that Nanyondo has significant resources being an incumbent which can be deployed to increase NUP’s chances to retain Bukomansimbi as opposed to losing it to NRM (Kavule doesn’t intend to fund flag bearers which is why incumbents are being preferred). They are also sure that being an incumbent, she will play spoiler by running as an independent in case she isn’t given the flag and that the resulting confusion would naturally favor the NRM.
Rose Nalubowa is getting the flag for Masaka City Woman MP as Joan Namutawe takes the one for Masaka (rural) district where she won as NUP-leaning independent in 2021 after beating EMC member John Sebuwufu’s wife Harriet who fell with her flag. Namutawe (currently MP Evans Kanyike’s girlfriend) had been Mpuuga’s ally but Mr. Wine is overlooking all that because he is determined to isolate and obliterate Mpuuga in his Masaka backyard.
Hellen Nakimuli is retaining her flag as Kalangala Woman MP because she has done fairly well and also due to lack of better alternatives for Kavule.
Joyce Bagala is bouncing back with NUP flag for Mityana Woman MP Slot because Kavule sees that as an opportunity to further isolate (as opposed to mobilizing for) Mpuuga. Bagala met Bobi and remorsefully explained herself and personal friendship with Mpuuga and the man from Magere agreed to mend fences and granted her second chance. She no longer faces hostility from foot soldiers at Kavule and can freely access the offices wherever and with whoever she wants.
Kavule insiders say that Mr. Wine realized that Bitano or even Nabossa, who Zzake is fronting, are political weaklings who can’t have the financial resources to match Judith Nabakooba. Kavule reflected on the fact that Bagala can be rehabilitated and is the best option for them to retain, as opposed to losing, that Seat.
As incumbent, she has got the network, the financial and human resources required to cover a large geographical area like Mityana district which the other two little girls can’t afford. Bobi said he was ready to anger Francis Zzake who hates Bagala as opposed to risking losing that Woman MP Seat.
Kavule also reflected on the fact that, whereas it will be easier to cajole and prevail over the two little girls to let go, it was going to be impossible to prevent a well-resourced incumbent like Bagala not to come as an independent, in case of flag denial, which naturally would create confusion and increase victory chances for Nabakooba. Kyagulanyi knows Museveni propagandists like Frank Gashumba will have him for dinner and generally have fodder the moment NUP fails to retain the 55 MP Seats it currently has in Buganda, leave alone adding on.
Manjeri Kyebakutika, the Jinja Woman MP would ordinarily be unwanted because of her disgruntlement and friendship with renegade Gen Moses Bigirwa but she getting the party flag out of necessity. Incumbency comes with advantages which Kavule doesn’t want to lose on.
Stephen Serubulwa is retaining his Seat of MP Lugazi Municipality on the NUP ticket as activist Julius Ssentamu remains favored for Kagabo’s Bukoto South MP Seat in Lwengo district. To many casual observers it seems fait accompli in favor of superrich KCCA Lord Councilor Hakim Kizza but the latest information indicates that Kavule developed cold feet a few days ago when the latest assessment from EMC indicated that Ssentamu has additional advantage because a significant number of residents see Hakim Kizza as a Kampala-based activist who is merely being imposed on them because he has more money than Ssentamu who has been standing since the 2012 by-election which DP’s Mathias Nsubuga won.
Others on the list include Jimmy Kanabi for Lulume Bayiga’s Buikwe South; Faridah Nabatanzi for Buikwe Woman MP; David Lukyamuzi Kalwanga for Busujju, Lutamaguzi Semakula for Nakaseke South, Allan Mayanja for Nakaseke Central, Martin Ssejjemba for Mawokota South in Mpigi where Kavule is reluctant to aid Yusuf Nsibambi anymore, Teddy Nambooze for Mpigi Woman MP, Hilderman Kiyaga for Mawokota North, Zambali Blasio for Nansana Municipality, Fred Nyanzi for Kawempe South, Erias Nalukoola for Kawempe North, Ali Mulyanyama for Makindye East (Nyeko doesn’t stand much chance anymore) and incumbent Allan Sewanyana for Makindye West where he is running neck to neck with Seya’s brother Faruk Ntege. David Musiri has totally been disregarded, as is the case with Robert Ssekidde aka Tuff B.
There is also Betty Ethel Naluyima who is safely having the Wakiso Woman MP ticket on grounds that none of the wannabe young girls (including Sylvia Namutyaba) who have been measuring themselves to her, has the money required to cover a large area like Wakiso. Retaining Naluyima also complicates things for Semujju Nganda in Kira while at the same time helping to effectively isolate and silence her mentor and great friend Matia Lwanga Bwanika of Busiro South.
Others are Yusuf Nkeretanti Kiruluuta who is replacing Francis Katabazi in Kalungu East. Katabazi who beat Minister Sempijja in 2021 has been found weak both in Parliament in Kampala and on the ground in Kalungu. He has also not been very good at media which Kyagulanyi considers a lot too.
Joyce Nabatta Namuli has the card for Entebbe Municipality as Teacher Isaac Tomusange galvanizes the one for Mityana North where Kavule is rejecting Gordon Sematiko on grounds that he is too decent to manage a riffraff like Nsegumire of NRM. Kavule is convinced that Sematiko can’t cause trouble in case of rejection because even last time he had the flag and failed to win with it because of his politics of moderation. Bishop Tomusange has also been rejected on grounds that he isn’t strong on the ground.
In Nakifuuma, Suleiman Kiwanuka is having an upper hand over the incumbent Fred Ssimbwa who the latest EMC assessment shows isn’t doing well on the ground. He is seen as a damaged and burdensome incumbent who can’t manage stopping a resurgent Eng Kafeero Sekitoleko of the NRM who joined the race after making a lot of money at URC where he has been serving as chief engineer since losing that seat in 2021.
In the place of Jimmy Lwanga, who contemptuously bashed Bobi and fell in bed with Gen MK’s PLU, Moses Musanje Lukanga has been fronted to become the new MP for Njeru Municipality. In Kyadondo East, Mr. Wine is determined to disappoint and annoy his own family Doctor in the names of Dr. Ali and give the card back to Nkunyingi Muwadda even when he has only been good at defending the Kadamas on social media as opposed to materially being there for his people in the villages of Kyadondo East.
Mr. Wine is ready to keep pleading with local residents and even apologize to them on Muwadda’s behalf than fronting someone else. He considers Muwadda to be a high performer even when he faces challenges of fortune-hunting voters frequenting Magere to report to the principal how they haven’t benefited from the man who replaced him in the MP office.
Besides fighting for Diaspora Ugandan rights, Nkunyingi has demonstrated extreme loyalty to both the party and Principal. In Kalungu West, Joseph Sewungu (in Parliament since 2011) has been retained as flag bearer as Aisha Waliggo, a defector from DP, was having the flag for Kalungu Woman MP slot as of Thursday evening. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
