Lessons from Betty Namboze win in Mukono

North by- elections

• Nambooze finally won Mukono North by- election defeating Rev. Bakaluba Mukasa
after court cancelled the candidature of Rev. Bakaluba Mukasa. The Votes Margin
was wide; Namboze got 16,142 votes, while Bakaluba followed with 14,302 votes.
• Ugandan civil society is still weak. Despite highest court of justice in Uganda
proving that Rev. Bakaluba Mukasa participated in election malpractice and
disqualifying Rev. Bakaluba as Member of Parliament, no action was taken against
him. Not even a fellow reverend or Christian Associations spoke against it or
denounced him

• Inability of Electoral commission to organize free and fair. There were still cases of
eligible Voters being turned away because their names were not on voters register.
There was violence for example a car of Bakaluba camp was burnt by unknown
people. Voter intimidation in other parts of Mukono. some ballot boxes were
carried on foot and some on Boda bodas.

• United opposition. The Strength of a united opposition cannot be undermined.

Political parties worked together in election monitoring as well as fielding one
candidate. Some parties in IPC did not field a candidate while those that had a
candidates agreed to withdraw their respective candidates from the race which
helped Namboze win. No opposition political party currently can field candidates in
all elective positions. In fact all party heads pitched camp in Mukono. Imagine if all
parties had candidate and refused to stand down in favour of Nambooze votes,
votes would be divided and as such NRM would emerge winner .No wonder
Nambooze had later attributed her victory to the support of different opposition
parties being behind her

• Cultural interests were a determinant factor in deciding who to vote for.Namboze’s

background as presenter on CBS “Twejukanye” where she was referred to as
Madam Teacher.She was also an official of mengo government sensitizing masses
on disadvantages of then land Bill which was later passed.. This won sympathizers
as at that time .the fact that CBS was closed down and it in Buganda region.
Nambooze had also served Mengo government during land bill .Bunyala-kabaka
crisis came in play during the campaigns.
• Timing of elections sometimes determines the voter number turn up. The less
voter turnout can be explained by that fact that it was Tuesday, a working day. We
cannot conclude that the weather was not favourable
• Electoral laws in place are enough to have the free and fair election.
• Influencial people do little to change voter’s choice. The presence of the, president
and chairman of NRM Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Vice president Gilbert BUkenya,
Hon. Amama Mbabazi in Mukono did not affect the results Wearing two courts
NRM /president
• Speaking what voters want to exactly counts. Namboze succeeded at this
.influence of the media,Media sold Namboze throughout the campaigns in positive
way.
 • NRM scored positive when they publicly conceded defeat in the Mukono North By-
election. This is lesson to all politicians that there is loser and winner

BY
Baliboola.N.Ivan
ludabalib@yahoo.com