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Members of the Forum for Democratic Change in Kabale took to the streets on Wednesday night to celebrate provisional results that put the incumbent mayor, Pius Ruhemurana, in the lead.
Ruhemurana, who has been mayor of Kabale since 2001, is one of only a handful of FDC mayors in the country. His past municipal councils have been a mixed bag of political ideologies, but he is seen as a uniting factor who leads well despite existing differences.
When the provisional results were announced at Kabale Rukiiko Hall late yesterday, the large crowd of FDC supporters burst into wild cheers. Led by the MP-elect for Rukiga County, Jack Sabiiti, they marched through the streets singing and dancing in celebration.
As a sign of unity, some National Resistance Movement members who won the LC3 council elections also joined the parade.
Jack Sabiiti said he was pleased with Ruhemurana's success. He said it was a great sign of victory that the FDC had managed to keep its position in elections that were greatly influenced by monetary handouts from the NRM.
The Kabale district registrar, Iddi Kahwa, said the municipal elections were peaceful and without incident. He said a heavy rainstorm that hit Kabale during the vote tallying didn't disrupt the process.
In the neighboring Rukungiri district, the FDC candidate Charles Makuru is also in the lead, according to provisional results. He stood for election against Saleh Turyamureeba of the NRM.
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