WAKISO. As nomination of candidates vying for municipal mayoral positions closes to an end , Nansana Municipality ,Wakiso District has attracted strong contenders in the race for the next year’s General Elections .
At least four candidates were duly nominated Wednesday evening by the Electoral Commission. These are; Independent incumbent Mayor Regina Bakitte, National Unity Platform (NUP) flag bearer, John Bosco Sserunkuuma alias Kaanakambaata, the Democratic (DP) Party’s Elijah Kazibwe, and the National Resistance Movement’s Hamidu Nsubuga Kizito.
Despite being denied the NUP ticket, Ms Bakitte is not shaken, saying her two term legacy holding the same position, will bring victorious returns in the next election.
“I’m going to start with infrastructural development. We very well know the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Urban Development Program is on course, let’s have a shinning Municipality the coming term,” she assured voters.
Other areas of projected development include proper waste management, climate action, health, and education.
“I have the ongoing climate action campaign involving over 500 youth who are doing different initiatives to restore the environment.”
Some candidates faced challenges with meeting the required standards by the Electoral Commission which delayed their nomination exercise.
NUP ‘s Sserunkuuma initially had missing signatures from Gombe and Busukuma Divisions after some of the voters who had seconded him were already tracked in the system for having backed other candidates.
He was as well asked to get his signatures verified with the party stamp. This drew him into panic and tension, but was later nominated.
“Electoral Commission officials were playing us to buy time. We have tried everything possible to present all the requirements but they are insisting for a stamp which is not even necessary, ” he said before nomination.
At 4:48pm, Sserunkuuma was duly nominated to contest for Mayor of Nansana Municipality on the NUP ticket amidst jubilation from the party supporters.
“I’m a born of a poor background who knows what is affecting the underprivileged. Exorbitant taxes ruining small business, high property tax rates, and poor infrastructure are my key priorities, ” he pledged.
Hamidu Nsubuga Kizito, the National Resistance Movement flag bearer, on the other hand, has pledged to ensure proper garbage management, citing the incident of Kiteezi dumpsite that claimed lives.
“The ruling government has a lot of opportunities but the problem with opposition leaders, instead of lobbying for such opportunities, they just fight the government, ” he said.
The Democratic Party candidate, Dr Elijah Kazibwe, wants to focus on health among other areas. He says, Nansana remains challenged with poor health facilities.
“The population is rapidly growing but we still receive medicines for the people we have two years ago. It’s our responsibility as leaders to let the government know of our demand.”
Mr Tolbert Musinguzi, the EC Returning Officer, said starting Thursday, September 11, they will be moving to division level, nominating chairpersons and councillors.
“All those who will have missed today don’t have any other chance.”