“Aine Godfrey Kaguta, one of the candidates contesting for the Mawogoola North county MP seat has pulled out of the race few hours to the voting day.”
Few hours hours after Museveni’s brother, Aine Godfrey Kaguta announced his withdrawal from the Mawogoola North county MP race for his opponent Shartsi Musherure Kuteesa, a daughter to foreign minister Sam Kuteesa, he (Aine) has come out in new twists and revealed that he was forced out of the race.
Sodo as popularly called, revealed that he was forced to stepdown in a meeting that was held between his family (Kaguta family) and their in-laws family (Minister Sam Kuteesa family).
“It’s true I have withdrawn from the race. On Sunday we had a meeting with my family; that’s President Yoweri Museveni, Salim Saleh, Michael Nuwagira alias Toyota and Sedrack Nowomugisha Nzaire and Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Also in attendance was Minister Sam Kutesa, his daughter Shartsi Musherure Nayebare and other family members and it was decided that I pull out,”
“Of course, I was forced out, I don’t think there is any reason why anybody would pull out of the race one day to the election day.” he added.
Close contacts told Parrots UG that the there has been growing divisions between the two families and the Kaguta family opted to withdraw their son’s candidature in order to maintain cohesion.
The news of Sodo’s withdraw was first announced by his campaigning team that he was withdrawing from the race to give room for his opponent, Shartsi Musherure Kuteesa.
Sodo confirmed to the news in an interview with Uganda Radio Network stating that his decision to withdraw from the race was reached after a series of meetings with President Museveni who asked him to step down for his opponent for purposes of building cohesion both within the party and their family.
Sodo however refuted reports that he has been bought by his brother, President Museveni to pull out to endorse his opponent Shartsi Musherure Kuteesa.
He added: ” For the president, I support Museveni but for the position of MP, I urge the voters to vote for a candidate of their choice,”
Background:
Both Sodo and Museherure were standing as independent candidates after the NRM party denied to give a flag to the former having won the party primaries last year.
It should be recalled that Sodo had defeated Musherure in the NRM primaries . Sodo polled 17343 votes while Musherure garnered only 16104 votes. However, the later opposed the outcomes claiming that the elections were marred with gross violence, ferrying of voters from neighboring constituencies, omission of results from some villages among other irregularities.
This prompted the NRM elections Tribunal to nullify the whole process and withdrawing the party flag.
In December, Sodo sued the NRM party challenging its decision to withdraw his flag.
Court presided over by Justice Musa Ssekana ruled that it was illegal for the National Resistance Movement-NRM party Elections Dispute Tribunal to fail to decide on the legitimate candidate for the Mawogola North Parliamentary seat.
Court further said that the NRM Elections Dispute Tribunal acted in violation of the NRM Elections regulations of 2020 when it failed to make a definitive decision on the matter and instead chose to send it to the Central Executive Committee.
Musherure will now face Henry Nyanzi, NUP, Moses Lyazi FDC and independents; Salim Kisekka, Christine Nakayiza, Hillary Tukundane and Ismail Wagaba in tomorrow’s election.
