BUDUDA – The National Resistance Movement party in Bududa district is hatching an elaborate scheme to defeat the National Unity Party’s John Baptist Nambeshe for the NRM flag bearer Mr Moses Mukhobeh.
Mr Nambeshe contested under NRM party in 2016 defeating state minister for cooperatives then Mr. David Wakikona but he has chosen to go against the NRM party in the 2021 parliamentary elections.
It is clear that he has already declared his intention to contest for the Manjiya constituency seat after spending five years mired in the depths of NRM politics.
Mr Nambeshe is now the vice president in charge of Eastern Uganda under the new political outfit National Unity Party [NUP] under Mr Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.
PML Daily has learnt of new and urgent efforts to vanquish Mr Nambeshe in Bududa, Manjiya constituency by the district NRM team by marketing Mr Moses Mukhobeh, the NRM flag bearer among the Youth, Women, Elderly and men across the Manjiya constituency.
In what appeared to be laying the ground for the NRM party, Mr Mukhobe the NRM was given NRM yellow bicycles to distribute to all NRM leaning LCs across the district to strategise for the upcoming campaigns.
Mt Stephen Wakyaya, the NRM chairman for Bududa district says his district is NRM and has been voting president Museveni in all elections with over 98% votes and that having NUP in Bududa is likely to have an impact on president Museveni’s vote.
“And this is the reason we are fighting tooth and nail to ensure that NUP does not get votes here and Mr Nambeshe does not get votes here to take him back to Parliament,” said Mr Wakyaya.
He explained that as an NRM team, they have also started canvassing votes for president Museveni and would want everyone to vote NRM candidates across the district for the good of the district.
The ongoing purge in political parties in Uganda is precipitating bad talk both in social media and in normal circles that is likely to see the ruling NRM government use police to orchestrate a campaign to frustrate NUP party activities in the 2021 parliamentary race in Manjiya County.
A group of influential civil society players working closely with Mr Mukhobeh, the NRM flag bearer has promised to rally behind him to oppose any loss of vote to NUP for the NRM party in Bududa district.
Sources said a plot to kick out Mr Nambeshe as the incumbent MP has been hatched and is going to be rolled out in stages throughout the campaigns in all sub-counties, parishes and villages where they have created NRM supporters.
But a new viable opponent, Mr Mukhobeh highlights the incumbent’s political baggage from a long career as an NRM insider – and tar him as out of touch with the mainstream of modern politics because he has joined NUP.
“And for me it is a situation of a man who instead of appreciating the hand that fed him just bites it. Mr Nambeshe should have shown appreciation to NRM for helping him go to parliament rather than going against the party [biting it],” said Mr Mukhobeh.
Mr Stephen Wabusani who chairs the elders under Bududa team vote Museveni 2021 said they fear Mr Nambeshe will not protect the interests of Bududa elders who were part of Elgon 14, a rebel outfit that fought alongside President Museveni to oust the Tito Okelo regime.
“We don’t believe that the NUP will protect the interests of our elders. And that explains why we were forced to field another NRM candidate, Mr Mukhobeh to run as the NRM party flag bearer for the constituency,” Mr Wabusani said.
But Mr Nambeshe says that he has also planned a series of rallies lined up across the constituency in the start of his campaigns to prepare the ground for the unveiling of the MUP programme.
“I am not worried at all by NRM’s strategies and campaigns. As a party, NUP has a programme of activities we have lined up amidst the COVID 19 restrictions. I am ready to fight back my constituency,” said Mr Nambeshe by phone.
“They will get it rough when we start talking to our people directly soon,” added Mr Nambeshe who has mainly the youth on his side.
In Bududa Mr Nambeshe has heightened his 2021 parliamentary campaigns, visiting various sub-counties, exciting the youth and women by giving out some money and pointing out President Museveni’s political failures.
