How 37 Forgotten EALA Losers Performed: Five Candidates Got No Vote

When Uganda’s Parliament picked the nation’s nine representatives to regional assembly, the East African Legislative Assembly, all the eyes were on the winners and one loser: opposition strongwoman Ingrid Kamateneti Turinawe.

The winners were: former internal affairs minister Rose Akol; former Kakuuto County MP Mathias Kasamba; policy analyst Paulo Mwasa Musamali, and  frmer Lira RDC George Michael Odong, former animal husbandry state minister Mary Mugyenyi, and former NRM Youth League chairman Dennis Namara NRM Youth – all belonging to ruling NRM party.  Democratic Party’s Fred Mukasa Mbidde, Uganda People’s Congress’ Chris Opoka and independent candidate Susan Nakawuki completed the nine-member list.

But loser Ingrid Turinawe, who only polled 25 votes of the 389 MPs who voted, stole the limelight. What makes Turinawe’s loss interesting is the hostility members of ruling NRM party MPs greeted her with when she appeared before them to beg for votes. The MPs accused Turinawe, Forum for Democratic Change (FDC’s) secretary for mobilisation, of being behind previous anti-corruption campaigns that saw piglets decorated in NRM party colour yellow dropped at parliament in criticism of MPs extravagance. The legislators, informally called “MPigs” in opposition circles, even charged at the opposition stalwart known for her bold activism for allegedly calling them, well, pigs.

However, the EALA race had attracted some 46 candidates, five of whom got NO vote. They are: Enoch Kaluuba, Fred Luyinda, Mathew Mutyaba, Godfrey Ssali, and Joel Yiga Kamoga. This is how the 37 losers performed:

 1) Agaba Martin Edgar ​​​(INDEP) ​​02 Votes
2) Akwi Algresia Ogojo
​​​(INDEP) ​​13 Votes
3) Ariong Hellen Adeke
​​​(INDEP) ​​04 Votes
4) Basiime Richard Bashenyi
​​(INDEP)​​ 04 Votes
5) Bayiga Cissy Oeschger
​​​(INDEP) ​​01 Votes
6) Bwengye Lauben Muhangi
​​(INDEP) ​​09 Votes
7) Drito Alice
​​​​​(INDEP) ​​05 Votes
8. Ekwau Florence Ibi ​​​(FDC)​​​179 Votes
9) Ibanda Twaha
​​​​(INDEP) ​​04 Votes
10) Kaluuba Enoch
​​​​(INDEP) ​​00 Votes
11) Kamateneti Ingrid Turinawe​​(FDC)​​​25 Votes
12) Kenyangi Janet Kikwaya
​​(INDEP) ​​05 Votes
13) Luyinda Fred
​​​​(INDEP)​​00 Votes
14) Matyoli David Innocent
​​​(INDEP) ​​06 Votes
15) Mpiriirwe Racheal
​​​​(INDEP) ​​12 Votes
16) Muhango Chris
​​​​(INDEP) ​​03 Votes
17) Mutyaba Mathew
​​​(INDEP) ​​00 Votes
18) Muyanja Hassan Ssentoogo
​​(INDEP) ​​07 Votes
19) Mwambazi Joseph Kazura
​​(INDEP) ​​03 Votes
20) Mwambu Herbert Emmanuel
​​(INDEP) ​​03 Votes
21) Mwanje Charles
​​​​(INDEP) ​​04 Votes
22) Nalubega Mariam
​​​(INDEP) ​​74 Votes
23) Nassanga Jackline Oba
​​​(INDEP) ​​02 Votes
24) Nyero Francis Elton Lakelle
​​(INDEP) ​​03 Votes
25) Obua-Ogwal Benson
​​​(INDEP) ​​37 Votes
26) Okwere David Beecham
​​(INDEP) ​​04 Votes
27) Oluma Kennedy
​​​​(INDEP) ​​10 Votes
28) Oola Samuel
​​​​(INDEP) ​​06 Votes
29) Otim Alfred
​​​​​(INDEP) ​​03 Votes
30) Paito Andrew Mutegi
​​​(INDEP) ​​13 Votes
31) Ruhinda Richard Nganwa
​​(INDEP) ​​04 Votes
32) Seruwuge Yasin
​​​​(INDEP) ​​02 Votes
33) Ssali Godfrey
​​​​(INDEP) ​​00 Votes
34) Ssali Khalid Lule
​​​​(INDEP) ​​03 Votes
35) Tusiime Robert Byaruhanga Araali
(INDEP) ​​12 Votes
36) Werikhe Gerald Wan zala
​​(INDEP) ​​05 Votes
37) Yiga Joel Kamoga
​​​(INDEP)​​ 00 Votes

Samuel Kamugisha