By Henry Okurut
State Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Persis Namuganza Princess has been nominated as an independent candidate to contest for the Bukono County parliamentary seat in the forthcoming general elections, marking her official return to the race she once dominated under the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket.
Speaking to journalists shortly after her nomination by the Electoral Commission on Tuesday, Namuganza expressed gratitude to her supporters and reaffirmed her commitment to continue serving the people of Bukono, despite what she described as injustices and malpractices that marred the recent NRM primary elections.
“I am so glad that I have been re-nominated as an independent candidate in Bukono Constituency,” she said. “The people of Bukono have been requesting me to return, and I am happy they have witnessed this moment. My appeal to the Independent Electoral Commission is to act with independence and fairness. We don’t expect to see what happened in the NRM primaries; fighting, hatred and harm to candidates and their supporters.”
Namuganza, who currently serves as the area Member of Parliament, lost in the NRM party primaries, a race that was characterized by intense competition, accusations of voter intimidation, and alleged irregularities.
She later announced her decision to run as an independent, citing what she called a lack of transparency and fairness within the party’s internal process.
“Despite what happened in our primary elections, which were marred with a lot of malpractices, I am happy that the people of Bukono and Uganda at large have compelled me to come back and be nominated as an independent candidate,” she added.
In her address, Namuganza called on the electoral body and security agencies to ensure a level playing field for all candidates, warning against acts of bias or intimidation that could compromise the credibility of the election.
“We expect the Electoral Commission to treat all candidates equally and for security to remain neutral,” she emphasized. “Let there be a fair field for everyone.”
Namuganza also reaffirmed her commitment to championing community empowerment in Bukono, pledging to continue supporting youth and women with access to capital and economic opportunities.
“My people of Bukono deserve a little more space, a little sunshine, a little happiness, and a little capital among our youth and women,” she said. “I am here to make sure those opportunities reach them.”
Carrying the clock symbol, Namuganza’s campaign message is expected to revolve around continuity, fairness and development.
Her re-entry as an independent adds a new twist to the Bukono race, which is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched contests in Busoga sub-region.
Her nomination now sets the stage for a fierce electoral battle, as the outspoken minister seeks to retain her seat outside the NRM framework that first propelled her into national politics.
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