By Lawrence Kazooba
By now, it has sunk down in the minds of many Ugandans that a former kinyozi in a ghetto can become a member of parliament. When we started an endorsement campaign for Bobi Wine at Watchdog Uganda, many people dismissed our conviction as excitement and naivety. Here we are, now sharing with you who are the winners and losers in the Kyadondo East just finished race.
1. Kizza Besigye
Again we shall tell you our dear readers, we have no beef with Besigye. But like we told you some weeks ago, that Bobi Wine victory was about to humiliate the biggest brand in opposition politics. To be fair to the colonel, he did say that he didn’t mind Bobi Wine winning this race, but, his preferred choice in Apollo Kantinti, who the voters of his backyard rejected emphatically, left Dr Besigye with an egg on his face. Luckily, Bobi says he understands where Besigye comes from and why he made that choice, albeit on political grounds. But the rejection of Kantinti despite Besigye’s pleas is a loud message. Louder than thunder.
2. Mugisha Muntu & Nandala Mafabi
These two I will place them together. Both want to contest for Forum for Democratic Change presidency. Muntu is a nice man, but, honestly it is not enough to be a good man. With Bobi beating the FDC infrastructure, might inspire rebellion in various political circles making running as independents a norm as one might not need political structures to win an election if they have people support. Nandala and Muntu sweated their small stuff but it didn’t pay. On this list of losers you can add Ingrid Turinawe. Her loud mouth physically and on social media could not give Apollo any extra vote.
3. Apollo Kantinti
I feel bad for Katinti. Kantinti did not do anything wrong to deserve this punishment. Unfortunately, history just ran against him. He was not helped by failing to announce his presence in parliament, not even walking out of the House in the short span he spent in the house. I am told Apollo had to re-introduce himself to the voters in the by elections as many didn’t know how he looked like.
4. Sitenda Sebalu and his NRM company
By the time Sebalu went to court to challenge Kantinti victory, he thought he had a chance to the seat he last tested before the late Sam Njuba throw him out.
Alas, Bobi came into the picture. And like he admitted in the post election interview, he knew it was game down the moment the ‘bad man’ from Kamwokya and now from Kyadondo, joined the race. Whereas NRM big wigs like Secretary General Kasule Lumumba got the opportunity to get some allowances, their chances of boosting how they can win Greater Kampala for their boss President Museveni, vanished with the storm.
5. Mama Fina
Sylvia Namutebi’s first public show of siding with the ruling party to hunt for voter proved futile. We actually wonder what made Mama Fina come out to face this whipping and humiliation. Now, those who believed she had voodoo and charm to bless them to win elections, how can they ever go back to her if she cannot even make her candidate Sebalu win a by election where his party has superior resources.
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