Reports Leo Odera Omolo
The semi official government mouth-piece, the NEW VISION reported this morning that four ministers were defeated in the NRM primaries to choose parliamentary candidates for next year’s general elections.
Provisional results show that ministers Janat Namuyangu, Simon Ejua, Simon D’ujanga and Dr. Emmanuel Otaala were trounced by little known opponents.
Namuyangu, the state minister for water, is also woman MP for Pallisa. She wanted to abandon the affirmative action seat created to boost women representation in Parliament and had sought to be directly elected for Kibuku constituency.
Incumbent Saleh Kamba beat her in the race marred by violence. Kamba polled 21,539 votes compared to Namuyangu’s 5,738 votes. The elections that started at about 3:00pm were concluded at about 6:00pm on Monday.
Mubarak Kalungi, the returning officer who came from NRM headquarters in Kampala, declared the results yesterday morning at Kibuku district NRM offices.
Kalungi said Namuyangu called him at 4:20pm on Monday, saying she wanted to pull out of the race to contest as an independent.
In Vurra county in Arua district, transport minister Simon Ejua lost to Dr. Sam Okuonzi.
Okuonzi scored 16,041 votes, while the minister managed only 9,756. The result excludes two villages where election materials reached late.
Labour minister Dr. Emmanuel Otaala suffered defeat at the hands of new entrant, Jacob Oboth Oboth.
In a somewhat close race, Otaala scored 11,123 votes, 6,712 votes less those for Oboth.
Elsewhere, security minister Amama Mbabazi (Kinkiizi West), public service minister Seezi Mbaguta (Rukungiri), former health minister Maj. Gen. Jim Muhwezi (Rujumbura) and former health state minister Capt. Mike Mukula (Soroti Municipality) won.
Mbabazi won in Kinkiizi West with 36,522 votes ahead of his rival Gad Rugaju, who got 10,808.
According to partial results released by district registrar Hillary Tindiwensi, Muhwezi was leading in four sub-counties, while his opponent, Dr. Alex Kamugisha, won only in his home sub-county of Buhunga.
Mbaguta was also in the lead in the sub-counties of Bugangari, Bwambara and Buhunga, while her main challenger, the incumbent Woman MP, Winifred Masiko, was also leading in Rukungiri municipality and Ruhinda sub-county.
In Amuru district, the former minster for northern Uganda, Betty Bigombe, had a landslide victory as the flag-bearer for the Woman MP seat.
Education minister Namirembe Bitamazire was cruising to victory for the Butambala Woman MP seat, according to provisional results. By 5:45pm yesterday, Bitamazire was ahead of her closest rival, Mariam Nalubega, by 3,951 votes.
In the contest for the Butambala constituency seat, the incumbent Kaddunabbi Lubega recorded a resounding victory by garnering 97,211 votes against his rival, Faisal Kikulukunyu’s 10,660.
The Amuru district NRM registrar, Sunday Ola, said with 95% of the votes counted, Bigombe was leading with 8,366, followed by the Peace Recovery and Development commissioner, Elizabeth Alimadi, with 1,008 votes, while Concy Adoch Nyapolo polled only 430 votes.
In Oyam district, the Woman MP, Beatrice Lagada, maintained her position with 4,687 votes, followed by Joyce Otim with 81 votes. For Oyam North MP, Savior Ogena won with 2,543 and his opponent, Francis Onena, got 400 votes.
In Mityana South, Henry Kamya Makumbi was nominated unopposed as the NRM flag-bearer. Makumbi, who has been the LC3 chairperson for Mityana town council, wants to unseat Ssozi Kaddu Mukasa (Independent).
In Nwoya, senior presidential advisor on northern Uganda, Richard Too-Dwong won with a landslide victory. He polled 4,922 votes, while George Willy Mwaka, the runner-up, scored 1, 411 votes.
In the race for the Nwoya Woman MP seat, Lilly Adong fetched 6,142 votes, while her fellow contender, Rose Mary Acayo, polled 1,056 votes.
In Omoro county, former MP Jacob Oulanyah won, while in Gulu Municipality, Michael Ochora triumphed. Oulanyah got 6,384 votes, while George Omona got only 311 votes.
In the newly-created district of Ngora, Dr. Abraham Isamat emerged as the NRM party flag-bearer after trouncing five other opponents.
Isamat, who has been the Ngora district veterinary officer, got 14,370 votes in the four sub-counties that constitute Ngora.
Jacqueline Amoding became the district Woman MP flag-bearer unopposed.
Ends