HOIMA – The hotly contested Hoima Woman MP by-election is set to be held on Thursday, September 26.
The show pits FDC’s Asinasi Kamanda Nyakato against NRM’s Harriet Businge Mugenyi.
In a rare show of solidarity, a combined force of the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), Democratic Party (DP), Alliance for National Transformation and People Power pressure group have joined forces to rally behind the FDC candidate.
The MP seat fell vacant after Ms Tophace Kaahwa Byagira (NRM) chose to represent the people of the newly created Kikuube district that was carved out of Hoima in July 2018.
Ahead of the election, we profile the two candidates.
Harriett Businge is a NRM flag bearer.
She is a teacher by profession, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Ndejje University.
Ms Businge is a proprietor of Good Samaritan Community School in Hoima Town, which offers bursaries to disadvantaged children.
She served as education minister in Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom for over ten years where she initiated a project to kick start the Bunyoro Kitara Royal University.
Ms Businge also chaired the Kabalega education fund that was founded by the Omukama of Bunyoro Kitara Dr Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I to give study opportunities to his needy bright subjects.
She retired from kingdom service in 2015 to join active politics.
She stood for the Hoima woman parliamentary seat and lost to Ms Tophas Kaahwa Byagira.
In 2018, she was appointed by the president as RDC Sembabule. She however requested the appointing authority to permit her to try her luck on the Hoima woman parliamentary seat.
Ms Asinansi Nyakato is the joint opposition candidate.
Ms Nyakato is a Princess in Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in social work from Ndejje University.
She contested for the Hoima woman parliamentary seat in 2011 and emerged as runner up after losing to Ms Tophas Kaahwa Byagira.
In August 2011, she joined the Parliament of Uganda where she worked as a policy analyst up to 2016.
She returned to Hoima district to advocate for the rights of communities affected by oil and gas developments in the Albertine graben.
She has led various groups to present their petitions to parliament protesting alleged irregularities in land compensations, displacements and concerns of the less privileged.
She is currently a joint opposition candidate in the race for the Hoima woman parliamentary seat although she was nominated on FDC ticket. She is backed by the Democratic Party, Alliance for National Transformation and the people Power movement.
She is an FDC National Executive Member where she serves as secretary for health services.
She is also the FDC Hoima Municipality general secretary.
She previously served as secretary for environment in the FDC youth league
