The poor road network and need for improved funding to the agriculture sector are some of the issues that have taken center stage in the campaigns for the Bukoto-South by elections. The Bukoto South parliamentary seat fell vacant after Judges of the court of appeal nullified the election of Muhammad Muyanja Mbabali over the lack of the minimum academic qualification.
He was dragged to court by his rival Mathias Nsubuga, the DP secretary general. Following the court ruling, Electoral Commission set July 12 as the date for the by-election. The by elections has attracted various contenders including Mathias Nsubuga, are NRM’ John Alintuma Nsambu, Joseph Ssemanda FDC and independents Dan Katula, Achilles Lubega and Robert Rutalo
The official campaign period is expected to start on Wednesday this week after the nomination candidates. Despite the fact that the official campaign period is two days away, several contestants have already pinned up their posters and started distributing their election campaign manifestoes. However, the poor road network and improved agriculture are some of key issues highlighted in the manifestoes of various candidates seen by URN.
Joseph Ssemanda, the FDC candidate and Achilles Lubega, an Independent say that they are focusing their campaigns on improved agriculture. Lubega claims that farmers in Bukoto South have been neglected by government in regard to improving agriculture to boost food security and incomes because of poor representation in parliament.
He explains that he wants government to come up with a comprehensive program to eradicate both the coffee bacterial wilt and banana wilt in Bukoto south. Lubega claims that several coffee farmers have lost their plantations to coffee wilt disease yet Government is not paying attention.
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Like Lubega, Joseph Ssemanda is also rooting for investment in eradication of both coffee wilt and banana bacterial wilt diseases. Ssemanda, a baker in Kinoni attributes the spread of the disease to negligence of agricultural production by the Government. He says that incumbent members of parliament have not mounted enough pressure on government to find ways to fight against the disease. Ssemanda says that he has got a program intended to pressurize government to increase funding for agriculture and invest heavily in new disease resistant banana and coffee varieties.
Mathias Nsubuga, the DP candidate says that his campaign will focus on the improvement of the road network. He says that road network in the constituency has been battered by torrential rains making it impossible for farmers to market their produce. Nsubuga lists some of the affected roads as Kinoni-Nakarembe road, Kyansonko road and Kiwangala.
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John Tamale, a voter in Kyasonko agrees with Nsubuga on the poor road network. He says farmers can no longer access markets for their bananas because the roads are impassible. He however faults candidates for making empty promises only to disappear and getting their vote.
