As the hotly contested by-election gets closer to its climax, a number of shocking events have started happening in Jinja East.
Over the weekend, it was a moment of laughter as Hon. Igeme Nabetta of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) meet some Jinja East Youths who grilled him and accused him of betraying them during the time he was in Parliament during the ‘Togikwatako’ season.
Nabeta who was held between lines, was left with no option except rejecting the party resolution amidst the youthful voters by saying that he never supported the controversial age limit removal bill, one that was advocating for the removal of presidential age limit and enabling the three decades ruler to become eligible of standing in the next general election.
The soft spoken lawmaker is one of the 317 Members of Parliament that backed the controversial that narrowly left some opposition MPs with broken jaws and pulps.
Nabeta said that as a youthful leader, he can’t support the issue of life presidency but just said yes to the bill since it was the party resolution he belongs to, and the only way the term limits could be embedded back to the constitution something that will soon help the young to join big positions.
It should be noted that the Jinja East parliamentary seat fell vacant after the Court of Appeal nullified the election of Igeme Nabeta over election malpractice.
The petition was filed by the opposition Forum for Democratic Change’s Paul Mwiru who previously held the same seat.
Five people have so far expressed interest in running for the Jinja East Constituency seat including NRM’s Igeme Nabeta and FDC’s Paul Mwiru.
Others are Christine Abuze a former Jinja District councilor coming as an FDC leaning independent, Faizal Mayemba a businessman in Jinja town- an independent and Julius Zziwa the Jinja municipality NRM Chairperson who is also contesting as independent.
The Electoral Commission set March 15th as the polling date for the hotly contested by-election.
