The Mawogola North Member of Parliament, Hon. Shartsi Kutesa Musherure has withdrawn her candidature for the position of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flagbearer for the constituency, days after being nominated.
In a press statement issued by Hon. Shartsi, the MP revealed that she decided to take the bold decision after meeting President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni who also serves as the chairman of the NRM and consultations with her family.
“As we prepare for the upcoming party primaries that will be held on the 16th of July, we are drawn back to the unfortunate events that took place during the same exercise of 2021. The people of Mawogola North were not able to exercise their constitutional right to choose their leaders freely, which is the very essence of elections. It is therefore against this background that interventions to avert a similar situation have been considered,” she said.
“I regret to inform you that I have withdrawn my candidature for the position of the NRM flag bearer Mawogola North for the period 2026-2031.”
Hon. Shartsi, the daughter of Hon. Sam Kutesa, the former Foreign Affairs Minister, further thanked President Museveni and the people of Mawogola North for giving her an opportunity to serve as their leader and servant.
“I have taken this decision with a heavy heart knowing fully well how much disappointment you will endure but I take comfort in the knowledge and belief that it is in the ashes of such setbacks that the seeds of future success germinate.”
With Hon. Shartsi out of the race, it means that President Museveni’s young brother Sodo Aine Kaguta is now unopposed in the primary election.
Mr. Sodo was duly nominated this week on Thursday by the party Electoral Commission in Kampala.
After the nomination, He said, “I talked to President Museveni, and he agreed. Now, he knows that I am going to contest in Mawogola North. I am sure that what happened in 2021 will not happen now.”
Sodo and Shartsi first contested in the 2021 elections after Hon. Kutesa, who was the area MP at the time, retired from politics and fronted his daughter to succeed him.
The polls, however, were marred by extreme violence marked by bloodshed.
The matter would be resolved in the State House, where Sodo was persuaded to step down for Shartsi.
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