By Mukonyezi Stephen Akiiki
Kabarole, (UG): In the 2021 elections for members of parliament, everything had moved on smoothly until the National Resistance Movement candidate Kasaija Stephen Kagwera was declared the winner of the Burahya constituency representative polls.
Kasaija garnered 32,894 votes ahead of Mwanguhya Charles, an independent candidate who got 17,081 votes in a hotly contested race. Other candidates included Violet Mugisa (4,419 votes), Muganzi Charles (4,040), Kimome Ruben Araali (2,679 votes), Ariyo Isaac (1,067 votes), and Muhumuza Patrick (648).
In this election, there were some irregularities, but the candidates respected the results. Respecting the outcomes did not mean that all things were ok.
Being on the ground, I picked out some areas of concern, most especially when the people of Burahya decided to send Steven Kagwera to parliament because of being in the yellow party. Burahya needed better for systematic growth. They needed a Charles Mwanguhya who has made a name as an eloquent speaker, a people’s person and an exposed one.
You may ask, does exposure and eloquence have anything to do with leadership? The answer is yes because the more connected to different people you are is the more likely you are to lure them into investing in your area which creates opportunities for the local population. Their investment in your area is largely dependent on how you convince them and how they can trust you.
Because of the many scandals in which Hon. Stephen Kagwera got involved, he shouldn’t have gone to parliament. He was accused of voter bribery and flaunting electoral laws in 2011, something which surfaced again in 2021. He was eventually thrown out of parliament in 2011. He was caught in a lodge with a schoolgirl at West End Guest House.
In another saga, he accused his party NRM of failing to pay rental fees for the party offices. Instead of finding a solution to the problem, he found it hard to mobilize for the payment of the little money that was being demanded, he instead advised Tooro Dairy, the owners of the premises to petition President Museveni who is the chairperson of NRM over the payment of the rent arrears.
All this shows you who the leader you elected is. If he couldn’t raise or mobilize some little money for the payment of rental fees of his party, isn’t his loyalty doubtable? Are the services reaching the local population through him? Are the people’s voices reaching the relevant people for the improvement of their lives?
Some people in Burahya are regretting having elected Kagwera, but the only hope is on the ballot come 2026. A sounding name currently according to radio polls is Charles Mwanguhya Mpagi. In a good number of villages I have gone to and met people at gatherings, Charles is the person they feel can take Burahya to another level given his ability to bond with all categories of people. This can help in lobbying.
Who is Charles Mwanguhya?
Born in Ruteete sub-county, Burahya county, Kabarole district, he went to Kasiisi Primary School where he sat his P.L.E, Mpanga S.S for O and A’Levels and later went to National Teachers College Kakoba where he obtained a Diploma in Secondary Education.
He later on joined Makerere University for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Literature and Communication. He enrolled at Makerere where he obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) and a Bar Course (Diploma in Legal Practice of the Law Development Centre-LDC, Kampala).
He has worked as a Political Editor of the DailyMonitor and Bureau Chief of the regional newspaper TheEastAfrican.
Mwanguhya has also worked at KFM and NTV. He is currently at NBS Television. He was a minister in Tooro Kingdom and has also worked for many prestigious organizations in and outside the country.
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