The Democratic Party has invited embattled Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago to pick forms to contest as the party’s flag bearer for mayorship in the 2016 elections.

Addressing journalists at the party headquarters in Kampala today, the party spokesperson Kenneth Kakande said that Lukwago was free to pick the forms and contest as a DP member for the Lord Mayor’s seat.

”We call upon Erias Lukwago to come and pick forms if he wants to stand for Lord Mayor,” Kakande said adding: “we as DP are ready to support him.”

Kakande stressed that it was time to put their differences aside so as to confront ‘the enemy’.

“We have to focus on issues that cause transformation, not disagreements,” Kakande said before criticizing the National Resistance Movement government for ‘choosing the Lord Mayor’.

He noted that the ruling party and government were planning to grant councilors the mandate to choose a Lord Mayor which, he said, is unconstitutional.

“Kampala residents have a right to choose their leader; we (DP) think the Lord Mayor must undergo the electoral process,” he said.

But when contacted for comment, the embattled Lord Mayor declined to comment on the issue of him standing as a DP flag bearer candidate for the city’s top political seat. “I have no comment,” Lukwago said.

The Lord Mayor and Mr Mao are involved in a standoff, with the former forming a splinter group within the DP, after claiming that Mao’s rise to party presidency was unconstitutional and accusations that the party president’s approach to issues had antagonized many members.

A controversial and daredevil politician, Lukwago has been denied access to his office at City Hall for close to two years now.

And, despite maintaining the Lord Mayor’s official car, Lukwago has also not been paid for the time out of office but Parliament last year appropriated Shs500 million to cater for his salary arrears.

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After attracting a huge gathering in Mbale on his first day of consultations, former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi is today in Kapchorwa for further consultations regarding his candidature in the 2016 elections.

Mbabazi, who is to address a rally at the Booma grounds, announced his candidature on June 16, after falling out with his erstwhile all and confidante President Yoweri Museveni. At the time Mbabazi released message on ‘yuotube’ indicating he would contest for both National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairmanship and the party flag bearer post for the forthcoming elections.

However, the tide in the party did not favour Mbabazi’s ship, prompting him to change course and declare he would run as an Independent candidate. Since then he also released an 8-point programme, detailing too voters what he intends to do if elected President.

Tomorrow Mbabazi goes to the former industrial town of Jinja, where he will address a rally at Kakindu stadium.

In July Mbabazi was blocked by police from going to Mbale for consultations, with the cops intimating that he had not been cleared by the NRM to contest for the party’s flag bearer position.

However, this time round the police has allowed Mbabazi to consult.

Meanwhile, it is not clear if Mbabazi will join The Democratic Alliance (TDA), a loose alliance of political parties and individuals who want to see an end to Mr Museveni’s three-decade rule. So far former vice president Professor Gilbert Bukenya has already picked forms for the joint candidature, while Democratic Party’s Norbert Mao has also indicated he will run under the banner of TDA.

Another opposition figure whose intentions are not yet clear is Forum for Democratic Change flag bearer Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye, who has threatened to boycott the 2016 elections if electoral reforms are not carried.

Besigye recently defeated FDC president Major General (rtd) to clinch the party’s flag bearer position and in a speech before his election, declared he would follow the recommendations dubbed the Citizens’ Compact, a set of demands made after nation-wide consultations by the opposition and some civil society organisations.

In a related development, over 40 people have picked the presidential nomination forms but analysts say many of these might fail to get the requisite 100 signatures from two-thirds of the districts in Uganda, as enshrined in the Elections Act.

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President Yoweri Museveni has appointed five new justices of the Supreme Court and seven other judges to the Court of Appeal.

Justices Augustine Nshimye Sebutulo, Faith Mwondha, Ruby Apio Oweri, Eldad Mwangusya and Lillian Tibatemwa Ekirikubinza were named Supreme Court judges while Alphonse Owiny Dollo, Elizabeth Musoke, Paul Kahaibale Mugamba, Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, Catherine Bamugemereire, Cheborion Barishaki and Hellen Obura are now Court of Appeal judges.

Currently, Lady Justice Bamugemereire is the chairperson of the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) Commission of Inquiry. Justice Mugamba has been the head of the anti-corruption court, while Prof Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza, formerly of the Court of Appeal, was one time a Deputy Vice Chancellor of Makerere University.

The Supreme Court has been comprised of eight justices, and the recent appointments bring the number of JSCs to 13.

Meanwhile, before the elevation of Lady Justice Mwondha and Justices Nshimye-Sebutulo, Opio Aweri and Mwangusya to the Supreme Court, their former station, the appellate court, had 12 judges, while before the elevation of Lady Justices Bamugemereire and Obura and Justice Paul Mugamba, the High Court had 53 judges.

The appointees await parliamentary approval.

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The Africa Press Organisation (APO) will award one African journalist/blogger with transport, accommodation and a daily allowance to attend the 2015 edition of AfricaCom – the biggest and best tech event in Africa to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, on 17-19 November 2015.

 

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President Yoweri Museveni has paid tribute to the late Israel Barasa Osengedo, a former LC 3 Chairman for Bulumbi sub- County and staunch NRM leader.

President Museveni, who visited the deceased’s family at their home in Bulumbi Sub-county in Busia district after addressing a rally at Masafu village, Bwanda sub-county, Busia district, told the people who gathered for the funeral rites that he came to commiserate with the family over the loss of their loved one, whom he described him as a hardworking and loyal leader.

The President later laid a wreath on the grave of the late Baraza before having a private talk with the family including Barasa’s two widows Joyce and Jane Osengedo.

Mr Barasa died on September 4, last year. He had earlier served in the Uganda Police Force before joining active politics, where he rose NRM leadership in Bulumbi and also became the LC3 Chairman for Bulumbi Sub County, positions he held up to the time of his death.

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