Pallisa, Uganda: Pallisa District Woman Member of Parliament, Hon. Kaala Kevin Ojinga, has declared that she will contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming general elections, following dissatisfaction with the outcome of the NRM primaries and a tribunal petition challenging Catherine Achola’s victory.
Hon. Kaala made the declaration on Tuesday at a joint NRM meeting convened by District Chairperson Hon. Orone Derrick at Kyoga Hotel Gardens, which drew over 500 party supporters. She stated that despite securing 59,000 votes against Achola’s 71,000, the NRM tribunal failed to consider her petition thoroughly.
“My sister Achola never reached out to discuss the matter, but instead accused me of manipulating votes from unknown villages. The results, however, were read polling station by polling station, and I will let the voters decide,” Kaala said in an exclusive interview with DailyExpress.
During the same meeting, Achola cautioned that independent candidacies could undermine party unity, echoing NRM Secretary General Hon. Richard Todwong’s directive that losing aspirants rally behind winners.
Hon. Orone emphasized that the gathering aimed to promote harmony after the primaries and encouraged all party members to set aside personal differences. “As the chairman of the party and lead campaigner for President Museveni, I need unity,” he said.
RDC Pallisa, Mr. Dhikusooka Magid, highlighted the importance of consolidating votes for President Museveni, noting that no candidate secured 90% in the primaries, and urged party members to mobilize for a decisive victory.
Meanwhile, Hon. Ochwa David, MP for Agule County, called for focus on presidential mobilization, insisting that independent candidates should not distract from the main objective of securing Museveni’s win.
“If all candidates promote Museveni and his achievements, I see him scoring over 90%. Let’s not get deviated by issues of independent candidates,” he said.
Some local stakeholders, including Mr. Itabai Joseph from Apopong Sub-County, warned that denying independents an opportunity could risk losing support to opposition presidential candidates, stressing the significance of voter loyalty in the general elections.
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