Veteran musician, Rachael Magoola of the ‘Obangaina’ fame, is the official National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer in the upcoming Bugweri District Woman MP elections.
In the elections held on Wednesday, Magoola defeated three other candidates including Nalugooda Aminah, Birabwa Kajete Rose and Musubika Monica.
The conducted elections are part of the NRM party primaries for the Women Members of Parliament and Local Government Councils elections in the six newly created districts.
The other districts include; Nabilatuk, Kapelebyong, Kwania, Kassanda and Kikuube.
Magoola, a teacher and Musician polled 13,172 votes (48%) followed by Nalugooda who got 6,691 votes (24.4%). In third position was Birabwa who garnered 5,667 votes (20.7%) and Musubika Monica became fourth with 1,409 votes (5.1%).
Speaking after the election, Bahana Silver, who supervised the exercise on behalf of the party’s Electoral Commission Chairperson, Dr Tanga Odoi, told SoftPower News that the election was generally peaceful with minor cases of suspected stuffing were detected and contained prior.
“In Makuutu sub county at Wayibaale Parish, two goons grabbed ballot papers with seemingly an intention of ballot stuffing but good enough four of them have been arrested” Bahama said.
“We have advised the Police to present them to court on Friday, so that they act as an example to the rest who harbour intentions of involving in election malpractices,” he said.
Magoola who is part of popular Afrigo Band, will now face Norah Kalule from FDC, JEEMA’s Sarah Babirye, Mercy Walukampa from People Power, a pressure group attributed to Kyadondo East legislator, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu and a projected huge number of independent candidates.
Muziransa Faragi was also elected as the party’s flag bearer for the the LCV Chairperson seat.
Until its separation, Bugweri was part of the large Iganga district and constitutes of six sub counties which include Buyanga, Namalemba, Busembatya, Makuutu, Ibulanku, Igombe, and Busesa town council.
The Electoral Commission has not yet released a road map for the elections in these newly created districts but expected to issue it soon.
Last month, the Commission’s deputy spokesperson, Paul Bukenya, told a section of Members of Parliament who were demanding to know why elections in the new districts had not kicked off that EC lacked enough funds to hold them.