Karooro Okurut
1 December 2008
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Kampala — An on-site analysis of the main candidates and the internal dynamics shaping public thought and driving the Kyaddondo North constituency by-election.
The atmosphere in Kyaddondo North constituency, Wakiso District is charged with tension and anticipation as December 4, the date of a pulsating by-election draws nigh.
Four candidates are each trying their best to convince the almost 80,000 strong electorate that they are the best-placed to replace fallen state minister for agriculture Kibirige Ssebunya as Member of Parliament for the area.
From the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC), there is Pauline Nakabuye. The People's Progressive Party (PPP) is represented by Ssentamu Ssewandagi, while Regina Bakitte Nakkazi is flying the flag of the Democratic Party (DP).
All eyes, however, are on Robert Ssebunya, the son of the fallen minister, who is warming the hearts with the same charm and smile that his late father was known for. This Makerere University alumni works with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation as an accountant.
Many of the voters are saying it is only natural that he completes his father's term, pointing out that he combines his father's natural brilliance and approachability with his own tact of listening carefully to people before he speaks and offering folks a helping hand whenever the need arises. And the need does arise nearly all the time.
Ssebunya Junior, as we are (inevitably) wont to call him from time to time, is also capable of standing his ground on any day. He is calm in crisis and manages to keep his head above the waters, however deep; and able to charm people at the same time, as though nothing has gone wrong.
This is, by all means, a man that voters can rely on in times of turmoil and turbulence, to steady the ship and keep it on course.
Apart from his personal strengths, there are many other factors in Ssebunya's favour.
Most critically, one must look at how split the opposition, having fielded three candidates, is. This is an excellent opportunity for Ssebunya Junior to exploit in the unlikely event the going gets tough.
In any event, however, Ssebunya can count on strong party support. The NRM has thrown its entire weight and machinery behind him with strong mobilisation done and for good measure, President Museveni has made it clear that this is the man he thinks will serve the people well.
Ssebunya's toughest opponent, observers, suggest is possibly DP candidate Regina Bakitte Nakkazi, who twice contested against Kibirige Ssebunya and twice lost. She obviously knows her way about; but there is no reason to suggest it will be third time lucky for her.
If she could not beat the older man, she stands no chance against a younger and more persuasive version of the fallen charming politician who is a firebrand in his own right and some say, even possibly better than his father at charm, leadership and service delivery.
The FDC candidate should, inter alia, be taken care of by the chaos in her party which is literally struggling to stay in one piece.
PPP's Ssentamu Ssewandagi is said to have good public relations skills, but his experience is largely just as a councillor at Wakiso district. Parliament is a drum too big for one used to drumming smaller drums and his party, PPP, is too small and too unknown to be of much threat against a mass party like NRM.
Ultimately, however, this election is largely a test of whether or not the electorate will want to see a continuation of the spirit of Kibirige Ssebunya, the man they loved and faithfully voted into office each time he asked them to.
Ssebunya himself has quite wisely made it known that "I want to complete my father's five-year term and continue from where he left off". There are many examples of how useful it is to ensure continuity of leadership through election of a family member of a deceased holder of office.
In India, Rajiv Gandhi, the elder son of Indira and Feroze Ghandi became the ninth prime minister of India (and the third from the Nehru-Ghandi family) after his mother's death on October 31, 1984. He led the Indian National Congress to a major election victory in 1984, soon after amassing the largest majority ever in Indian Parliament-411 seats out of 542.
Benazir Bhutto, the first woman in modern times to head the government of an Islamic state, became prime minister of Pakistan in 1988, following her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who served as prime minister from 1971 to 1977.
After Benazir Bhutto's assassination in 2007, her son Bilawal Bhutto, was named chairman of her party, with her husband Asif Ali Zardari named co-chairman, and was this year elected president of Pakistan. Their country has been much the better for it since.
Closer to home here, in Thur County, Karamoja, Florence Adong replaced her late husband, Omwony Ojwok and in Busiro South, Joseph Mutebi Balikuddembe, triumphed after the death of his father Charles Musisi.
In Rubaga South, Ken Lukyamuzi, after being ousted from Parliament on breach of the Leadership Code, successfully swayed the electorate to vote for his daughter Susan Nampijja, who has been every inch a chip off the old block.
All this suggests it makes sense for the people of Kyaddondo to let Ssebunya step into his father's shoes. His ability to listen means his constituents can rely on him to listen to their problems, and execute their interest as a leader in his own right who will improve on what his father delivered.
Moreover, apart from being an NRM party faithful, Ssebunya moved around a lot with his father whenever the campaigns were on, both in Parliamentary and Presidential elections party. The experience he garnered from working closely with his father should be of immense benefit to the NRM as a party and Kyaddondo North as a constituency.
Kibirige Ssebunya began the project, allow his son to complete it.
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