KALUNGU.
The State Minister for Water ,Ms Aisha Ssekindi has vowed that she will not take part in National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries, citing early signs of vote rigging.
According to Ms Ssekindi , she has already learnt of a plot by some NRM members in Kalungu to embarrass her during party primaries by rigging in favour of any opponent who will stand against her .
“This time around the top party leadership issued a decree that once one participates in the internal elections and loses ,he /she should not stand as an independent, when I checked our register in Kalungu I resolved not to participate in the primaries,” Ssekindi said while addressing mourners during the burial of late Ahmed Mwanje , the former chairperson of Kirinya Cell in Lukaya Town Council on Wednesday.
She revealed that her enemies within NRM have inserted over 7000 ghost voters in the district party register yet the a registrar had done a perfect job .
“The work was perfectly done by our administrator and around 60, 000 members were registered and the register went to Kampala ,but on returning the register , there were over 7000 names added in the register, how can I participate in such a sham process to land into a trap?,” she asked
She gave her experience with NRM primaries saying they are always chaotic and this time round she doesn’t want the electorate to get problems.
“I participated in party primaries in 2016 and 2021 and I don’t want my people to experience the same,” the minister sad
At the same burial the minister explained why she is working closely with Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) politicians in Kalungu including the district chairperson Kamadi Nyombi Mukiibi and two MPs Mr Joseph Ssewungu( Kalungu West) and Francis Katabaazi (Kalungu East).
“Some NRM leaders are accusing me of working with members of NUP , I am not a member of NUP , but I respect them ,these are leaders elected by the people and I have to work with them to implement government programmes ,” he said
Internal wrangles among NRM leaders in Kalungu started in the aftermath of 2021 General Elections when some party members accused Ms Ssekindi of having connived with National Unity Platform (NUP) politicians to survive the wave that swept several NRM legislators .Several efforts have been made to reconcile the warring groups ,but internal bickering has persisted .
Mr Twaha Kiganda Ssonko, the Kalungu District NRM chairperson said the minister was fed on wrong information since the party National Secretariat has not yet released the official voters register .
“I am not privy to her source of information and I need time to study it and talk from an informed point of view,” Mr Kiganda explained.
During the 2021 General Elections , Ssekindi won the election with 25,668 votes and her closest opponent of Fiona Mirembe Kiggundu of NUP garnered 21,668 votes while Aisha Waliggo of Democratic Party gathered only 8754 votes .