Reports Leo Odera Omolo

MAKINDYE West MP Hussein Kyanjo is the presidential candidate of the Justice Forum party, commonly known as JEEMA, for next year’s elections.

Founding party leader Mohamed Kibirige Mayanja stepped down for him during elections at a delegates’ conference held at Tal Cottages in Rubaga, Kampala yesterday.

Hussein Kyanjo

Former Makerere University guild president Asuman Basalirwa is the new party president. Kibirige Mayanja had held both positions. Basalirwa was unopposed after Umar Kalinge Nyago, the outgoing spokesperson, stepped down. Kalinge wants the Kampala mayoral seat.

Commenting on the elections, Kibirige Mayanja said although he had wanted to take both the position of party president and flag-bearer, he stepped down to set an example for other political leaders. Though Kibirige Mayanja did not want any post, the delegates elected him as party chairperson.

Kibirige first entered the national political scene in 1996 when he stood against President Yoweri Museveni and Paul Ssemogerere, coming third.

He stood in 2001, but performed poorly. In the 2006 elections, he opted to back Col. Kizza Besigye.

In the party elections yesterday, Kyanjo polled 180 votes against 17 votes for his rival Hajji Amuzah Ssebunya.

JEEMA is a member of the Inter-Party Cooperation, a loose grouping of political parties planning to field a single candidate in the elections next year. The others are the Forum for Democratic Change, the Conservative Party and the Uganda People’s Congress.

Kyanjo will now have to contest against Besigye (FDC), Dr. Olara Otunnu (UPC) and Ken Lukyamuzi (CP) to become the joint candidate.

Kyanjo said many people underestimate JEEMA, but that the party was ready to produce the president of Uganda.

“I am now going for the IPC contest. I will get for you a good deal as the candidate of choice. Through my candidature, the opposition will get power,” he said as the delegates shouted: “Our Obama.”

Many delegates also argued that Kyanjo was the best candidate because he comes from the central region.

Born in 1960, Kyanjo holds a degree in industrial and fine art of Makerere University. He was elected JEEMA secretary general in 2005 and as MP for Makindye West in 2006. He is the only JEEMA MP.

In 2007, Kyanjo stirred controversy when he called for the secession of Buganda from Uganda, citing marginalisation. Asked about the issue yesterday, Kyanjo said: “Yes, I still hold my view.” He said discrimination and imbalance in distribution of jobs and opportunities in Uganda remain.

“Two reports on the imbalance in the army and in public service have failed to receive sufficient responses from the concerned ministers,” he argued. He said the current acrimony between Buganda and the Government “will result into Buganda seceding from a torturous Uganda.”

Kyanjo warned: “No one should play games in the 2011 elections. If you do so in Uganda, the result is war. Whoever dares unleash violence against Ugandans exercising their voting right will get an equal measure of treatment.”
Some 300 delegates attended the conference. It cost sh80m, of which sh35m was donated by the Deepening Democracy Programme, officials said.

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