Minister Magyezi reportedly quits Igara West MP race for Kabwegyere, Mbwatekamwa

Local government minister Raphael Magyezi has pulled out of the Igara West constituency race, local media reports claimed on July 31.

Magyezi has represented Bushenyi District’s Igara West since 2011 when he floored former minister and university professor Tarsis Bazana Kabwegyere.

Reports from Igara West quoted Magyezi as confiding in local civil society activist Lee Kakonge that he would not contest in the 2021 parliamentary race.

The Minister will concentrate on his ministerial role, local media quoted Kakonge as saying about Magyezi’s candidature.

Magyezi is facing stiff competition from at least 12 candidates, including his 2016 toughest challenger Horace Muhabuzi, former MP Kabwegyere and Kashambya’s Gaffa Mbwatekamwa.

Mbwatekamwa, Magyezi’s relative, recently made peace with President Yoweri Museveni.

The former People Power Ankole coordinator and other ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) rebel MPs had opposed the party’s position to vote to remove the age limit, in a controversial amendment Magyezi had proposed.

Read: Tough conditions for Rebel NRM MPs even after Museveni forgave them

Mbwatekamwa, who has been doing mobilization work for sometime now, also ditched the People Power pressure group of fellow legislator Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.

Details follow