Sembabule District National Resistance Movement (NRM) returning officer George William Katokoozi has declared President Museveni’s younger brother Godfrey Kaguta Aine Sodo the winner of the Mawogola North flag bearer race.
At 08:12 pm on September 30, Katokoozi announced Aine Sodo as winner after he got the highest number of votes.
Aine Sodo got 17,343 votes (46 per cent) against Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa’s daughter Shartis Nayebare Musherure’s 16,104 (42.7 per cent) and Salim Kisekka’s 4,274 (11.3 per cent).
“Thank you the people of Mawogola North-Sembabule district for handing me the flag to run in the forthcoming elections for Member of Parliament under NRM party,” said Aine Sodo.
“I also congratulate my main opponent Hon. Shartis Musherure and other aspirants for the patriotic race well concluded.”
BACKGROUND
After postponing the election twice – September 04 and September 28 – the Mawogola North finally took place amidst heavy security presence.
Deputy Police Chief Maj Gen Sabiiti Muzeeyi had camped in the district since September 28. Police had deployed at least 2,000 of its officers to ensure peaceful elections.
Clashes between supporters, aides and guards of Aine Sodo and those of Musherure had made it almost impossible to hold the poll – prompting the NRM to postpone the election twice.
Ahead of the voting, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi had warned that there would be no postponement.
“I want to tell the people of Mawogola that this is the last chance for them to have primaries, if they disturb the primaries as a result of violence and demonstrations, we shall not hold elections there. We shall have a constituency without flag bearers,” warned Tanga Odoi.
The elections had been scheduled for September 28 but the party pushed them to September 30 “to ensure electoral officials, security and candidates meet to agree on a number of things before the elections,” said NRM Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba.
The party also hoped to use the two-day extension to “enable stakeholders agree on how to carry out a peaceful election” and allow the contenders to clearly “get dos and don’ts that need to be followed.”
