Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago has lost a major battle for the city’s supremacy after an independent sponsored councillor defeated a candidate backed by his office and the Forum for Democratic Change party.
Mr Abubaker Kawalya on Thursday won with 17 votes to become the first speaker of KCCA while Nyanjura came second with 14 votes. Muhammed Ssegirinya the other contestant came a distant third with one vote.
Also, Lukwago’s group lost the race for deputy speaker after Byaruhanga Bruhan (NRM) won it with 18 votes, while Doreen Sabuka got 3 votes and one vote was counted as invalid.
Although he is an FDC member himself, Kawalya’s candidacy has been bitterly fought by Mr Lukwago and Kizza Besigye group, who preferred Nyanjura, the Makerere University representative.
Kawalya’s victory point to the declining fortunes of the Lord Mayor in Kampala at the time People Power plan to sponsor a candidature against him during the 2021 elections.
The fight between FDC and People Power political movement could have played a big part in the result as youthful politicians are pushing for the exit of Kizza Besigye and FDC from the stage after 20 years of domination of Kampala politics.
Kawalya is a self confessed die hard and supporter of Robert Kyagulanyi, the leader of People Power movement.
Analysts say it is because of Kawalya’s affiliation to People that FDC sidelined him in preference for Nyanjura, a renown Besigyeist who was controversially given a party card to contest for speakership. Her announcement as ticket holder was also accompanied by a warning from the party’s secretary general Nandala Mafabi that if Kawalya went ahead to contest against her he would be suspended from the party.
Kawalya stood his ground and kept in the race. On Thursday, the red line was drawn as Kawalya beat Nyanjura which spells a wider rift between People Power and FDC and between the Lord Mayor and other functions of KCCA.
After elections, Justine Kasule Lumumba, the secretary general of the ruling party, NRM sent a congratulatory message via her twitter handle @JustineLumumba to Mr Kawalya:
In other divisions, elections have taken place on Thursday and NRM councillors have won speakership in several divisions including Nakawa, Kawempe, Central, and Lubaga. Only DP won in Makindye.
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