Joshua Nahamya
Mbarara City – Mbarara City’s mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi is tense as MP Mbwatekamwa comes in full swing to oust him from the mayoral race.
What started as a rumour eventually turned real that Hon. Gaffa Mbwatekamwa representing Igara West constituency is vying for the seat of Mbarara city Mayor.
Currently, Mbarara city’s mayoral seat is occupied by popular radio presenter Mr Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi who usurped legendary politician Hon. Wilson Tumwine in the 2016 general elections.
It is from that time that Kakyebezi found a laid ground for government programs like the USMID project where all roads connecting to the heart of Mbarara town were paved and street lights flourishing for Kakyebezi to be voted for the 2nd term in 2021.
He was also happy to become the pioneer Lord Mayor of Mbarara after being elevated from a municipality to a city in 2020.
However, Mbwatekamwa vowed that the time had come for Kakyebezi to hand over to him the mayor’s office of Mbarara city, claiming that as a local leader; he has not done much to change the face of the town.
During a media interview, fearless Mbwatekamwa who was also the Member of Parliament for Kasambya in Mubende District said that there are several challenges he found in Mbarara City that need to be addressed including corruption and bribery among others.
“Mbarara City at the level where we are, it is like fetching water using a basket whereby you keep pouring as it drops. And it is useless as a typical striker to keep scoring as you also go on to concede more goals. So as a sharp striker you rather fall back to the defense or go to the goal posts to avoid conceding any other goal, therefore if the leadership at the city here is poor eve if we lobby how much, still the people of Mbarara will continue struggling,” Mbwatekamwa emphasized
He said that Western MPs are tired of lobbying for money, projects, and programs but collapsing in the city when the mayor and his executive are just looking. “We go to parliament, lobby but when the money reaches here, it is not utilized well, and shockingly other money is returned back every end of the financial year when we have poor services here,” Mbwatekamwa explained.
He added that Mbarara City has lacked a belonging and identity like other major towns and cities elsewhere.
“If you go to Fort Portal, it is known for being a tourism City, Jinja as an industrial City now what defines Mbarara City? I remember at one point we discussed that it should be a medical city such that people should be coming from all corners of the country for medical services, but look at how its health centres are crippling,” Mbwatekamwa said
He noted that the city leaders have failed to implement some of the lobbied projects and programs meant to transform Mbarara city into a better city to live in.
“We wanted to bring an international hospital here but the city leadership failed to relocate police to NFA land. We also lobbied a hospital for the elderly both women and men but the city council never bothered and those are some of the challenges that I want to address as a City Mayor,” Mbwatekamwa said.
He is also against the incompetent and corrupt City Service Commission appointed by the mayor which has unfortunately affected the people of Mbarara on service delivery and job opportunities.
“Count how many years have we spent without the service commission yet our children in Mbarara don’t have jobs” added, is there anyone who doesn’t know the Katete bridge saga, it is now a public talk in Mbarara”
“Go to the central market and see how vendors are being defrauded by the blockers. Is there any person who doesn’t know how to load Yaka token, once a mayor those are some of the awarded contracts and tenders that we have to review to kick corruption and bribery of Mbarara City,” Mbwatekamwa stated
He also said that Mbarara city has been disadvantaged for failing to have a modern stadium at the expense of the city and the district leadership which indulged in property fights.
“In parliament, we passed that the government should construct a modern stadium at Kakyeka to host AFCON but the city leadership got stuck into property fights with the district, and the project was withdrawn and taken to benefit Hoima City,” he explained.
Mbwatekamwa said he does not mind about the salary but he is only concerned about seeing the people of Mbarara city receiving quality services.
“You all know how parliament pays well. And there is no one who would think about leaving parliament to come and compete for the mayoral race, but even if I keep earning well in parliament when the City projects have stalled. It is reason I have decided to become a mayor to organize Mbarara City before some of us run away from it because of poor service delivery,” Mbwatekamwa said
He cited that Mbarara city is a hinterland city that connects countries like Tanzania, DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, which he said that once organized well, can develop into a powerful regional city in the western region.
“Whoever comes from Rwanda, DR Congo passes through Mbarara City but it is unfortunate that Mbarara, where all these people start, is still underdeveloped. They must accept that Mbwatekamwa has come to work tooth and nail to enforce street order in Mbarara City”
“Those who are saying that I am not a resident of Mbarara, they should know that I am as old in Mbarara as Great African radio. The people of Mbarara should know that they can still milk the dog to get better services in the City,” Mbwatekamwa emphasized
In response, Mayor Robert Kakyebezi confirmed that he will run for reelection despite facing heated criticism from his opponents.
Kakyebezi added that he would not risk selling his already-earned property because of an election.
“Of course I will stand but the mistake I will not do is sell my property because of an election. But even if I lose I will not be the other Kakyebezi who was a radio presenter. For the last two terms at list I have earned something I can go home and concentrate on my household projects,” he said
Kakyebezi warned the people of Mbarara not to vote for a political hawker as a mayor, alleging that Mbwatekamwa did nothing for the people of Kasambya and Igara West as a member of parliament.
“There is no way you can replace a cow with a dog. What has he done for the people of Igara west and what did he do for the people of Kasambya that you begin to trust him as the mayor of Mbarara city. This City deserves a better leader who can foster development.” Kakyebezi said
Herbert Kamugisha, Head of laity St James Cathedral, also a mayoral aspirant, pledged to work on the poor roads in Mbarara City.
“I have moved all over Mbarara city be it Nyakayojo, Biharwe and other parts but the roads are misery, they are in the sorry state yet the government issued Shs 1bln for the road fund,” he noted
Kamugisha vowed to bring investors to Mbarara so that the city could build factories and industries to employ mostly the youth.
“It is also the work of the leaders to convince the investors to come and invest in Mbarara. For instance the president gave us an industrial park but it is like the leaders here don’t know whether it exists yet it is one way of enabling our youth in Mbarara to get jobs”
He also blamed the city leadership for failing to restructure Kakyeka Stadium. “As a person who loves sports, I will ensure the restructuring of Kakyeka stadium because I remember last elections I invested in a youth tournament which was played at Namboole but if Kakyeka stadium was developed we would have played it from here in Mbarara City” adding that, if I become a mayor for Mbarara city, I will make sure that we have a football club for both sportsmen and women,” Kamugisha said
Other aspirants for the Mbarara City mayoral race include; Stanly Katembeya [FDC], Dan Ruhemba [former NIRA regional Officer], and Jonathan Naijuka [Kanuzire pork joint].
Regarding the Mbarara City north MP race, incumbent Robert Mwesigwa Rukari is likely to lose to his predecessor Micheal Tusiime, who launched early campaigns last month.
Tusiime who lost to Robert Rukaari in 2021 has so far painted Mbarara city with billboards and is also on the ground supporting churches, schools, and communities in developmental projects like construction among others.
Robert Rukaari recently took hoes and maize seedlings to the residents of Bunusya ward who rejected them, suggesting that they want electricity, not hand hoes and maize.
Who is Mbwatekamwa?
Louis Gaffa Mbwatekamwa was born on 3rd May 1978 and raised in Gongo village in Igara, Bushenyi District. He is the fifth of Kaihura Nkuba Rwachumika and the late Jolly Gaffa’s six children; three boys and three girls. He is married to Dona Atuhiire, and together they have four children.
He is an educationist, health worker, pan-Africanist, and politician from Uganda. He is the Igara West county Member of Parliament in Bushenyi District in the 11th Parliament.
Mbwatekamwa went to St. Michael High School for both ordinary and advanced levels of secondary studies.
He went on to enroll for a diploma in Secondary Education at Nkozi University, Mitala Maria campus, and a Bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy from Kyambogo University. Gaffa also did a postgraduate diploma in Human Resources.
He went on to receive a Master’s in Management Studies from Kyambogo University in 2013. In August 2022, Mbwatekamwa enrolled at King Ceasor University to study law.
Mbwatekamwa opted to fight for the parliamentary seat in the 2016 elections, and he successfully represented Kasambya County in Mubende District in the 10th Parliament before deciding to return home to Igara.
In the 2021 NRM Primary election for Igara West Member of Parliament, Gaffa defeated a number of opponents, including Prof. Tarsis Kabwegyere, Horace Muhabuzi, Dr Karuhanga, and Adam Kyakuwa.
He worked as a teacher at St. Mary’s Vocational School in Kitende, as well as at the Baylor College of Medicine in Mulago, the Ahmadia Moslem School in Wandegeya, and the Mubende Regional Referral Hospital.
Additionally, he worked as a presenter for Greater African Radio in Mbarara, Tropical FM in Mubende, and Greater Africa TV. Gaffa also worked as a taxi conductor while at Kyambogo University in 2005.
He is currently engaged in dog breeding and exporting to Europe and the Middle East, a business he is so passionate about due to his love of dogs.
He is the founder of several primary schools named Answered Prayer in Kyegegwa, Mubende, and Ibanda. He also owns the Mubende Answered Prayer School of Nursing and Midwifery.
He has homes in Mubende, Igara West, Kampala and Mbarara City.
Gaffa Mbwatekamwa is a National Resistance Movement die-hard with a confessed love for the NUP ideology.
