Why NRM managed to kick out FDC from Rukungiri  

By Ronald Kabanza

Despite Rukungiri district being the Genesis and well known as a stronghold for opposition parties, the trend significantly changed in the recent concluded 2021 general elections.

President Yoweri Museveni and his national resistance movement (NRM) party scooped majority votes in the district in the just concluded presidential and parliamentary elections unlike in 2016 general elections were NRM only won one parliamentary seat and opposition that is forum for democratic change ( FDC) won three seats.

In the 2016 general elections President Museveni got 47%, Dr. Kizza Besigye, the then FDC party flag bearer got 60% while the rest shared the remaining in Rukungiri district. In the Rukungiri district’s outgoing council, FDC was having 12 members and NRM had 26.

The NRM party in the just concluded elections won 3 parliamentary seats, fdc won 1, in the district NRM won 24 councillorship seats, fdc won only 1 seat. In the lower local government election, NRM won 7 seats, FDC took 2 while independent won 1 seat and in the town councils NRM won 3, fdc took 1 seat.

In the lower local governments fdc only took 3 lc3 seats, independent took 1 seat while NRM took 10 lc3 seats.

Some of the key areas in the district that rendered the president and the party sleepless nights in the previous elections included Rujumbura and Rukungiri municipality but this time round the president Museveni and his party NRM won in all these areas with a margin of over 40% despite the low voter turn up and a lot of voter bribery in many parts of the district as said by voters.

What helped president Museveni, NRM Party?

The major factors that helped president Museveni and his Party to win Rukungiri massively are the change of mindset by voters, Dr. Besigye’s failure to run for presidency, strong mobilization, divisionism among opposition members, security stability, water and electricity extension, improved road network within the district among others.

Over years, Dr. Besigye was the only issue as to why people of Rukungiri would vote for Fdc but his decision of not contesting again as the president of Uganda played a vital role towards the collapse and down fall of opposition in Rukungiri , people could vote for him because he was their son and they expected a lot from him.

Rtd. Maj. Gen, Jim Muhwezi , the MP elect for Rujumbura constituency at the same time the national resistance movement –NRM district chairperson said that the progressiveness of NRM in Rukungiri is not a surprise given the visible achievements attained by NRM.

“Before NRM came to power, there was poor education and health systems, poor road network, poverty was at its apex, insecurity among others but nowadays , people are now are accessing free education and health services because the NRM government has at least constructed schools and health centers at almost every sub- county level”. Muhwezi said.

Rtd. Maj. Gen Muhwezi added that “there is peace and stability in the country that allows every Ugandan to settle down and work for development thus chasing poverty saying that in previous regimes, people could spend much of their time in wars meaning that was no time for development. Where peace is people gets time to work hence improved standards of living” Gen Muhwezi said.

Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa said that NRM’s Overwhelming win the district is because of peace and stability the country has experienced since 1986 when we assumed the presidential office this greatly made Ugandans to love NRM government.

He added we have developed because of the conducive environment the NRM government has put in place under the leadership of president Museveni.

“President Museveni has made peace with armed groups and defeated militia groups and this is what is keeping us around and alive. Therefore he deserves our votes. I think the increase in percentage of votes partly contributed to the massive win of NRM in Rukungiri.” Dr. Rutahigwa said.

The influence of Emyooga program

The recently introduced emyooga program that is meant to eradicate poverty and create wealth for different groups also brought smile and hope to desperate groups like the youth. Although the money is still in the hands of government officials and groups have not yet got money but the program greatly contributed a lot towards the progressiveness of NRM party in Rukungiri because it bought a sense of hope to groups members who will benefit from this program.

Ambrose Kibuuka, the Rukungiri district NRM mobilizer said the win for president Museveni and NRM party is a testimony that the people of Rukungiri are yearning for service which they have not earned from supporting opposition neither their son Dr. Kizza Besigye.

Kibuuka added that the president and his NRM government has been able to offer different programs aiming at fighting poverty among Ugandans such as youth livelihood, operation wealth creation, UWEP and now Emyooga

“We are going to make sure we sensitize our people how they can benefit from this programs such that in the 2026 general election, NRM scores 99% and we paint the whole of Rukungiri town yellow thus wiping out opposition in Rukungiri district.”Kibuuka said.

Kibuuka added that “If it was not strong mobilization and such government programs NRM wouldn’t have performed well in Rukungiri because people should know that it is in Rukungiri were opposition has its deep roots meaning our win was out of war because we almost at war of exchanging words but at the end of the day we were the winners”.

Numerous Developments

John Nathen Mugisha, a retired religious leader in the church of Uganda attributed the victory of NRM to numerous development projects that president Museveni has initiated in the district saying that water projects, electricity extension, Rukungiri – Kanungu Road projects among others bought smile on the faces of Rukungiri people thus massively supporting NRM governments

He said that the NRM structures Museveni built from the national to village level in the last 20 years also helped the party to ensure victory.

“The NRM government has done a tremendous job towards the development of Rukungiri district. You see with the introduction of these projects, people have been to get jobs and supported their families with basic needs so developmental projects that were initiated by president museveni and his government played a big in securing NRM’s win in Rukungiri district the home of opposition”. Mugisha said.

Disunity of opposition

Disunity among the opposition members (FDC) greatly contributed to the victory of NRM and the president .For example in Rukungiri municipality, FDC fielded 4 candidates to run for parliamentary seat and NRM only fielded one candidate, meaning that the votes of the 3s candidates shared the votes thus giving an opportunity to NRM candidate to win the seat for the first time because since the creation of Rukungiri municipality in 2010, it has been in the hands of opposition that is FDC.

In August last year, fdc organized party primary elections of which the winner was Dr. WallenTumwine who was opposed by his fellow members in the party. This made some member who were battling for the party flag to run as independent candidate citing votary bribery that marred the party primary elections.

The members who came as independents against the FDC’s party flag bearer are Kamateneti Ingrid Turinawe, George Owakukiroru who defected the party 5 years ago.

The fielding of more than one candidate against NRM’s one candidate that resulted from disunity and party primary elections contributed a lot towards the progressiveness of NRM in Rukungiri district.

The results that were read to the public by the district returning officer Abas K Namara put Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa of NRM polled 5588 votes, Dr. WallenTumwine got 3584 votes, IngridKamateneti got 2666 while George owakukiroru an independent but former FDC member polled 1098 votes.

The votes the 3 candidates polled clearly tells that if FDC had fielded one candidate, NRM wouldn’t have won Rukungiri municipality parliamentary seat but the disunity and disagreements costed FDC a lot thus losing the seat that have been in their hands to the ruling national Resistance movement candidate Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa who was once an FDC members but defected to NRM after losing the party primary elections to Muguma Roland Kaginda, the incumbent in the 2010 party primary elections.

Women’s influence

Women influence during the voting also played a big towards the overwhelming win of NRM party in the district. Their influence handed a landslide victory for the president because despite the low voter turn up during the voting but majority of the voters that turned up for voting were women who were seen in lines casting their votes at different polling stations in the district.

Mary Rwabugira working as a director pearl link international a non- governmental organization that advocates for women rights in South western Uganda said that she voted president Museveni and the NRM candidates in the district simply because of the freedom the NRM government gave to women saying the previous regimes did not take them as human being but with coming of NRM to the leadership women are also given an opportunity to head men at some working places a thing she said to be promoting equality

She attributed NRM’s victory to grassroot structure and work done by the ruling government in the last 20 years in the district.

‘Mzee had strong hold on grassroots representatives which the opposition didn’t have so there is no way how we can vote opposition parties that fielded candidates who were not known by voters citing NUP that had no agents in the district.” She said.

Dr. Besigye’s decision of not running for presidency

Viliginia Kyarugahi, the Rukungiri district FDC chairperson said, the decision that was taken by Dr. Kizza Besigye of not running for presidency greatly helped NRM to win Rukungiri without scratching heads because most people in Rukungiri could vote him as their son and with hope that in case he win , the state house, factories, good roads good hotels thus development.

KyarugahiSaid that he could only vote FDC because of Besigye because he taking him as his brother and a savior for the problems of Rukungiri but his decision of not running for presidency greatly demoralized him and he couldn’t vote opposition.

“There is no way how you can vote for a person who is not well known to the people, most people in Rukungiri know Besigye and Museveni failure by one not run for presidential seat, it becomes hard for some of us to clearly identify the right people to vote. So we adde up voting for NRM and president Museveni because we all knew him”

AutherNdakwenda, a business man in Rukungiri town said that besigye’s failure to run for presidency is the only and biggest factor that negatively affected the performance of opposition in Rukungiri district because some of us could vote opposition because of him. During campaigns he could derlivery messages that could change people mindset not only at the time vote but also for the whole of lives but his decision of running for presidency without giving us a clear reason affected the performance of opposition in that district.

“We all voted FDC because of Besigye well amurita was also good but he couldn’t fit in the shoes of Besigye and even the few votes he got in Rukungiri was because of Besigye. So his decision crippled the party thus performing poorly in the recent concluded elections.”Ndakwenda said.

90% of the respondents that talked with our reporter said that putting other factors aside but the failure of Dr. Besigye to run for presidency this time round greatly contributed to defeat of FDC in Rukungiri district.