KAMPALA – At least four ministers have been nominated to contest as independents in the 2021 parliamentary elections after losing in NRM primaries.
Among them is State Minister for Economic Monitoring Molly Kamukama who has been nominated to contest as an independent candidate for the Kazo Woman MP seat.
On Thursday, the High Court in Mbarara for the second time threw out an application filed by Kamukama, seeking to block the nomination of her rival, Jenifer Muheesi as the National Resistance Movement-NRM party candidate for the Kazo District Woman parliamentary seat.
Kamukama had returned to court seeking a temporary injunction stopping her rival’s nomination on grounds that her main application seeking to nullify Muheesi’s victory in the primaries would be rendered useless if she goes through with the nominations.
Kamukama ran to court after the Kazo District NRM Registrar, Joseph Ndibarema declared Muheesi winner of Kazo woman MP flag after polling 16,802 votes against Kamukama’s 16,715 votes.
Also nominated on independent ticket is Science and Technology Minister Dr Elioda Tumwesigye for the Sheema Municipality parliamentary seat. Dr Tumwesigye lost to Dicksons Kateshumbwa in NRM primaries. He then petitioned the NRM electoral commission alleging that the election was marred by irregularities but the petition was dismissed.
The other is Joy Kabatsi, the State Minister for Transport, who lost to Lwemiyaga County MP Theodore Ssekikubo in the NRM primaries.
However, several others who lost in the primaries have opted out of the 2021 polls altogether.
State Ministers Simon D’ujanga, Gabriel Aridru, Michael Werikhe Kafabusa, Mary Karooro Okurut, Henry Oryem Okello and Isaac Isanga Musumba were on a long list of long serving members of President Museveni’s Cabinet who suffered defeat in National Resistance Movement party primary polls on September 4.
Mr Werikhe, who is the MP for Bungokho South, was contesting the primaries for the newly created Bungokho Central County. The constituency was recently carved off Bungokho South.
Mr Werikhe posted 7,603 votes against Mr Richard Wanda’s 17,613 votes.
State Minister for Energy, Eng Simon D’ujanga was floored in Okoro County by Mr Gabriel Okumu, who got 53,547.
The minister came a distant third with a paltry 7,549 votes. The runner- up was Mr Martin Kermundu, who got 8,955 votes.
In Vurra County, Mr Gabriel Aridru, the State Minister for Finance, General Duties, fell in a tight contest in which he came second with 7,003 votes, against Mr Yovan Adriko’s 7,858 votes.
Another former member of Mr Museveni’s Cabinet, Mr Simon Ejua, came third with 4,853 votes
