By Chris Mugasha
BUSHENYI: Eight days after Bushenyi people went to the polls to elect their Members of Parliament (MPs), the debate especially on the District woman MP elections is still on with some supporters still in ‘denial.’
The situation that surrounded the entire campaigns immediately after the NRM primaries has been like a ‘cloud hovering’ over Bushenyi District but surprisingly it has disappeared without causing any drop!!
The race that attracted four women including the incumbent became a centre of attraction in the Greater Bushenyi region-if not the entire Western region with all eyes on the incumbent Hon. Annet Katusiime Mugisha and Ms. Vianah Kemigisha Nyamunyonyi.
Nyamunyonyi became Nyamunyonyi immediately after the NRM primaries where she participated up to the general elections-voting day!
Some of his supporters are still finding it difficult to believe that she/they indeed lost the ‘game’ considering the vibe that they heaped on their candidate throughout the campaigns.
Nyamunyonyi gained fame after NRM primaries and got convinced that she would go ahead and defeat the incumbent Hon. Katusiime forgetting that at the time of primaries people had ‘miner’ issues/complaints against Katusiime-the incumbent.
The NRM primaries were an ambush on Katusiime and wherever she is, she must be thanking God that the NRM primaries were held because they helped her to reorganize/review her approach, see/know what a voter is and who is a true friend. The NRM primaries acted like an eye opener!
Up to the last minute of counting (NRM primaries), nobody knew that Katusiime would get any candidate to challenge her and infact many able women remained hesitant to announce their candidature because they knew Katusiime had proved to be difficult to unseat considering her unmatched interventions (service delivery) in communities.
It is the reason why in the entire Greater Bushenyi region it is only Katusiime that survived the wave that swept all the incumbent district women MPs. Out of the 5 District women MPs of Sheema, Buhweju, Mitooma, Rubirizi and Bushenyi; it is only Katusiime that made it at NRM primaries.
The only issue that gave Katusiime an uphill task hence facing it rough is the issue of not facilitating her agents and not giving money to the supporters during the NRM primaries and on the day of voting.
“We all knew that it was a walk over for her only to get shocked at the last minute,” said one of Katusiime’s agents.
Although some people were at first blamed but it was later realized that it was actually her agents who threatened and sent her a signal that they were not happy for not facilitating them even when she/they did not have a serious competitor in the race (during primaries.) “It’s her people/agents who sent their signal of anger wrongly.”
Never the less, Katusiime has proved her worth and she has defended her way back to parliament unlike her counterparts.
Across all fields, there is a lot to show that Katusiime needed to be given another chance (term) in parliament to serve Bushenyi people.
“Katusiime is one of the MPs who became too good for everyone,” remarked one social analyst.
Under her initiative of Bamugisha Community welfare, when she became an MP, she single handedly established village saving schemes across the district. She ensured that each village forms a savings scheme of which she supported with some money on top of buying in a share to make her a member.
At the time the PDM came, Katusiime’s village saving schemes had made people especially women understand issues of money (financial literacy.) These schemes made her to be nearer and close to women. Infact, some men who were against Katusiime were using reasons of how she has financially empowered women alleging that as a result they have become difficult to manage in their homes! But it’s on record that Katusiime went ahead to support some men to form their village saving schemes in some villages.
Katusiime has been a strong and consistent voice for the people of Greater Bushenyi. She has pushed and defended key developments at the floor of parliament, including the tarmacking of Nyakabirizi–Nyakashaka Road, upgrading Kabagarame Weekly Pork Joint, increasing funding for the Nyaruzinga Banana Factory (PIBID), rehabilitating the Mbarara–Ishaka Road, and extending safe and clean water across the district. Today, Bushenyi’s ranking interms of piped/safe water coverage stands at over 90%.
A down to earth leader……….
Katusiime has balanced her roles as an MP and as a leader. She has labored to be visible at almost-most of the social events/functions in her district. Being funerals/burials, church/religious functions, all fundraisings, development meetings……..she has tried to be there and if not she sends a representative with a message/support to deliver to the beneficiaries.
The absence of some Bushenyi MPs especially Gaffa Mbwatekamwa of Igara West…….led Katusiime to be overstretched as all expectations of Bushenyi voters have been entirely on her head!!
Husband factor
Some women MPs have lost not because they have not been performers but they have lost because of carrying the entire constituency’s burdens alone. Katusiime has been lucky that she has husband who has the capacity to stand in. Where she has not been able to deliver, atleast the husband Dr. Eng Silver Mugisha has been there to stand in and deliver. It is however strange, surprising and unfortunate that some Bushenyi people are not happy with this with some questioning whether they voted Mugisha!
Hassan factor
When the district NRM chairman Hassan Bassajjabalaba reconciled with the Mugishas for the purposes of advancing Bushenyi’s unity and development, some people/individuals remained unhappy because they never wanted to see the two ‘bulls’ coming to a ‘round table’ due to reasons-known to them.
The Mugishas were very calculative to take this direction of reconciliation because it somehow saved the situation. But also Hassan had no option but to work with the Mugishas who had established roots/structures at the grassroots at the time (NRM primaries) where he (Bassajjabalaba) needed the Katusiime’s camp to win the district NRM’s chairmanship and considering the fact that his son Iddi Bassajjabalaba was in the race vying for Bushenyi/Ishaka Municipality. Both camps were going to feel each other had they not reconciled.
Their stand to promote peace and unity has indeed worked for Bushenyi and all eyes are now on them to see how long this ‘marriage’ of unity will last and what this unity will deliver to the people of Bushenyi.
The big shots factor
In this election, some big shots in Bushenyi district remained ‘silent’ while some chose to support and fund Nyamunyonyi ‘behind curtains!’ This did not help Nyamunyonyi at all since they feared to attack head-on. It helped Katusiime because some of these big shots feared to ‘fight a war’ where some of the issues they accused Katusiime for were personal in nature and therefore they could not go public to explain them to people. Some of them had participated and backed fully when Katusiime was joining Bushenyi politics.
Religion factor
Unlike in the past where religion has been at the centre stage in Bushenyi’s politics, this time round religion cannot be blamed. Katusiime had/has neutralized the religious camps/talk in Bushenyi. She is an Anglican and married to a catholic and this has somehow bridged the gap between Catholics and Anglicans in the district. The two religions form the biggest numbers in the district.
Even if Catholics wanted to punish Katusiime for whatever reasons, they could not do it because of their son! For Anglicans, Katusiime became a ‘darling’ to many and they offered her-the platform.
The Catholics remained divided between Katusiime and Nyamunyonyi (a catholic) but they had to weigh between the two. They remained in a situation of ‘ncwere-ncwere obunuzi…..miire-miire-omuriiro’ (we drop Katusiime; we drop and forget about development.)
This helped Katusiime to run a campaign without struggling to negotiate with religious camps as her main competitor (Nyamunyonyi) was struggling to market herself in religions/churches/mosques……..
Why Nyamunyonyi lost
For Nyamunyonyi, loosing this election which she run as a sure deal to parliament was a result of lack of critical ‘foot-prints’ in the social and economic affairs of Bushenyi apart from always showing up at the time of politics!!
Much as she put the race on tension, Nyamunyonyi failed to convince and prove to the supporters her impact even at her village in Kakanju Sub County where she is born.
Having the big shots supporting her behind the curtains also contributed to her loss as voters/people looked around her to see any ‘big shot’ to influence their decision/minds in vain. It is also alleged that Nyamunyonyi became unrespectful to the funders and some pulled out at the last minute. Some reportedly could summon her for strategic planning but she could turn down the summons and refuse to show up.
Running the campaigns on cheap slogans like ‘support efakazi (widow)….. and omworo-aha-mworo’ also failed to woe people/supporters to her camp. Her planners thought the slogans would attract sympathy but it did not as people looked at the candidate as someone wishing people to remain ‘rooted/grounded’ in poverty. This made people of Bushenyi to begin to identify where they belong and needed to belong!
The social media which is/was dominated by youth hyped Nyamunyonyi’s campaign trail but it (social media/youth) ended up not voting her since it (social media/youth) didn’t register with the electoral commission.
All in all, Nyamunyonyi brought life and steered debate throughout the exercise (campaign/election.)
For a peaceful Caro Namara, she announced her candidature when the race was already hot-between Katusiime and Nyamunyonyi and people had already taken sides. Too many, much as Namara was better than Nyamunyonyi…, she didn’t pick up because the attention was already between Katusiime and Nyamunyonyi who participated and engaged voters since the NRM primaries. For Musimenta Gwennie Makuru, some voters saw her at the last minute of voting when they found her picture and name on the ballot paper!!
End.
