SIRONKO – The 2016 parliamentary elections in Budadiri East brought to the political limelight a Ugandan public administrator and principal disaster manager; Mr Vincent Woboya.
The previously little known Woboya, controversially through a closely contested race beat the incumbent Mr Isaiah Sasaga to take the Budadiri East seat for NRM.
The results indicated that NRM’s Woboya garnered 19,034 defeating the incumbent [FDC] Mr Isaiah Sasaga who polled 17, 219 while Mr David Woniala, an Independent candidate polled 4,813.
The High court in Mbale presided over by Justice Andrew Bashaija threw Mr Woboya out of Parliament sighting failure to resign from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) before being nominated, beating up of voters by police, massive rigging, stuffing pre-ticked ballots in favour Mr Waboya and that he continued to receive salary after retirement from civil service on May 10, 2015.
But the High court in Kampala presided over the justice Steven Kavuma controversially maintained that Mr Woboya had tendered in his resignation to the secretary Public service as required by the law hence he qualified to be nominated for the MP seat.
This was done against clear evidence that although documents tendered in court showed that Mr Woboya retired on May 10, 2015, he continued to receive a salary up to December of the same year and that he received Shs12m, Shs14.5m, Shs10.3m, Shs1.8m and Shs1.98m in June from OPM to disseminate disaster management information in Kween, Sironko and Bulambuli districts.
Mr Woboya throughout his campaigns promised to revamp the constituency road network especially in area where the terrain is very poor, health, education and to continue sensitizing the people of Budadiri East to value education, lobby government to reconstruct the roads and help people know how to value government programmes and above all legislate for Budadiri constituency.
Disappointment
But just five years along the road with many people disappointed that the promises made are yet to be fulfilled and that their MP has been quiet in Parliament, Mr Woboya has come back for the same seat.
Across Budadiri East most of the people who voted Mr Woboya are disappointed that the services promised have not been delivered and that the people are ready to go with another person who will not make promises but deliver irrespective of whether he is voted or not.
According to political analysts, this they believe is one of the odds stacked against Mr Woboya because he made promises, was voted and has failed to deliver.
Mr Ezekiel Wofuta from Butandiga says that throughout the five years, bridges have remained poor, the roads have remained impassable especially those that go to the hill areas, our health system is so bad with no transport, schools have remained far with our children walking long distances down and up the hills to access education something we though was sorted by voting Woboya.
“He has let us down, we need him to accomplish his promises now if he does, we shall go with the man who does not promise but delivers, Mr Richard Masereje, we have never asked for anything from him but he has done everything for us,” said Mr Wofuta.
Mr Woboya in the 2021- 2025 race now faces stiff opposition within the party from Mr Richard Masereje [Lawyer] Mr Julius Nakiyi [Accountant] Mr Godfrey Sasaga [Former director at Emigration] at NRM primaries before facing FDC’s Isaiah Sasaga Zagaza, Mr Rogers Musalo [Lawyer, Independent] and Mr David Woniala [Democratic Party] in the main race.
Mr Biritiyo Mazune [Masaba sub-county] says that article 79 of the constitution provides for the main function of Parliament, which is: to make laws for peace, order, development and good governance of Uganda but we have not seen Waboya do this.
“And in addition, Parliament is expected to perform the roles of oversight and representation of the electorate; we have never got a feedback from him besides he has not consulted us in the five years,” said Mr Mazune.
Ms Jane Nakayenze from Zesui says the MP is expected to relay concerns from their respective constituencies to the house, it’s what the representation role entails but that their MP Mr Woboya has not done this.
“We are aware that MPs are required to participate in Committees, attend plenary sittings and any other Parliamentary activities and during the plenary, Members present the views of their constituents through raising issues of national importance, presenting petitions (present grievances and seek solutions), lay reports and debate them but our MP has let us down,” says Ms Nakayenze, a voter.
But Mr Enoch Namoso [Bumasifwa] is different; he says people expect a lot from MPs and that MPs also make mistakes in promising many things they can’t do and that is what leaves many voters disappointed.
“I know Mr Woboya, he is a good man but what changed him I think is becoming a politician. True, he made promises and these have remained on paper but I believe he will do them once given another term,” said Ms Namoso.
Mrs Topister Namakago says he will vote Mr Woboya irrespective of what he has done because he helped transport her to Mbale when she was stranded with a sick child.
Political pundits think that the coming of Mr Masereje in the NRM primaries complicates the race for Mr Woboya and could make Budadiri East one of the toughest political races to watch come 2021.
Mr Steven Nambadi of Busiita sub-county says “When Mr Woboya came we fought tooth and nail to enable him go through because he had promised employment and education for our children but now five years down the road, nothing has come.
“And five years down the road the district is still suffering the same diseases they suffered before him, poorest road network in the country, poor performance in National Examinations, this makes us think about a change, we shall go for Mr Masereje at least we have clean water, we have latrine pits,” said Mr Nambadi.
Who is likely to win and why
Mr Masereje stands a higher chance of taking the seat although he has a big hurdle to overcome his critics.
Riding on the theme “Service for my voters”, Mr Masereje says he hopes to promote reconciliation, unity and provide effective leadership again for the people of Sironko.
“Although we ought to pay allegiance to our country plus my NRM party, I ought to provide the best service to my people, the people who vote me and the people who have made me. This is what I believe in,” he added.
“My people belong to NRM, the party our dear president belongs to. We must all carry on with the ideology to deliver services to the people in accordance with the NRM manifesto,” he said recently.
Mr Masereje has promised to create employment opportunities for the youth and women in the district by teaching value addition, ensuring the people have access to clean water across the Budadiri East constituency, good sanitation, good health and a cheap but quality education for all.
Voters in Budadiri East says that before his term of office as an MP, Mr Masereje has already started a quality nursery school in Busiita, he has built spring wells in every parish in Budadiri East constituency, and sank pit latrines for people.
Opinion leaders across the divide say he has constructed spring wells, sunk latrine pits in Bumasifwa, Busiita, Nalugugu, Butandiga, Bukiise, Bukyabo, Busulani, Masaba, Zrsui, Bugitimwa, Bumulisha besides constructing funding the construction of gravity flow schemes, something that puts him above other aspirants.
“This is the type of MP we need, you don’t come to ask for a vote before you do anything but start doing and then ask for a vote. This is what Mr Masereje has done that is why we are going to vote for him,” said Mr George Kissa of Bukiise sub-county.
As he lobbies for votes again, Mr Masereje has promised to give a poultry project to benefit all women groups in the Budadiri East constituency and district at large.
He said chicks will be distributed to women and youth groups to enable them fight poverty at households and gain employment to make a contribution towards the district development.
Mr Masereje said that over 80% of pledges Museveni made in 2016 campaigns while looking for votes in Sironko have been fulfilled but that while they wait for the other 20%, as an MP, he has also made his contribution to boost the party support in the district.
Some other pledges the NRM party has delivered include, Sigwa bridge at Butandiga sub-county, Tractor and other road equipment for road construction, motorcycles for Gisos, payment for our LCs, funds geared towards YLP and Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme(UWEP], settlement of landslide victims which is still ongoing, electricity has been extended to almost all villages among others etcs.
Mr Masereje says that Budadiri East has tried other roads to development and peace – the road of political jealousy and the road of political bigotry – and found them both equally misleading.
“It is now time to try the third, Mr Richard Masereje as the only road of scientific truth, the only road on which the voter is not deceived. I will do everything within my means to redirect my district towards the journey of development and prosperity; I will try to see everything exactly as everything is while serving my people,’ says Mr Masereje.
The campaigns
With the coming on board of Mr Godfrey Sasaga [NRM], a former director for Citizenship and Immigration, the campaign has been monetized.
Mr Sasaga is also making promises; this means that like the others he understands that the main way to succeeding in elections is to make fantastic promises.
And indeed, on the campaign trail, he is busy making all sorts of promises – to heal the sick, better health services, better education; to build bridges and help empower women with entrepreneurial skills.
When PML Daily went across the villages, a few sensible people were asking what the candidates are going to do for them but most of the voters are asking for money.
The issues of road network, poor results at national examinations, resettlement of the land slide survivors and other people living in Mt Elgon landslide prone areas and issues of hard to reach areas access to Education and employment are key in this constituency.
Mrs. Harriet Manana from Nalugugu says the current MP Mr Woboya must face competition in order for him to know that he has done nothing, he has not delivered.
“Mr Woboya came into power under NRM, after defeating FDC but throughout his reign we have regretted why we even voted NRM because FDC was delivering well,” said Mrs Manana.
But Mr Woboya says that even with practical approach to development and delivery, he has delivered enough for the people of Budadiri West; Look at the bridges in Butandiga, look at the farm implements etc
“I think Mr Woboya needs another term in Parliament to continue with the projects he started under the NRM government,” said Mr. Samuel Wasukira [Bumadyemu]
“Actually, I am coming to complete what I started and I am the right candidate for the people of Budadiri East because I am more than determined to save our mothers who move long distances to deliver. This is what I am coming to do for my people,” said Mr Woboya.
Disappointment
Mr Isaiah Sasaga [FDC] says that 2016 – 2021 has also been a decade of high hopes and failed promises from perceived fortunes from oil production, middle income status to simple campaign promises by politicians, including President Museveni.
“And the NRM MPs who also made their promises basing on government’s promises have seen a leading trend over the past decade as a crisis, empty and there are plenty of other things worth exploring from elections to personalities,” said Mr Sasaga [FDC].
Mr Suleiman Mafabi Lumolo, the NRM chairman for Sironko district says he is aware that some MPs have not delivered but added very quickly that the NRMM party has delivered and that it should be looked at as a successful government.
He urged the citizens this time to be more confident in pointing at the critical issues that they would want their prospective leaders to address adding that previous civil-political engagements have been misled by the fallacious concept of the leaders defining the citizens’ priorities. Ends
Summary of previous election results, number of voters past and current
The results indicated that NRM’s Woboya garnered 19,034 defeating the incumbent [FDC] Mr Isaiah Sasaga who polled 17, 219 while Mr David Woniala, an Independent candidate polled 4,813.
Who is facing who at NRM party primaries in Budadiri East
-Mr Woboya Vincent [current MP, Incumbent]
-Mr Richard Masereje [Lawyer, consultant and researcher] new entrant]
-Mr Julius Nakiyi [Accountant] new entrant
-Mr Godfrey Sasaga [former director for Citizenship and Immigration]
-Mr Rogers Wadada, a lawyer and researcher
