By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
MITOOMA
Rabecca Kyarampe Namanya has been declared the duly elected Woman Member of Parliament for Mitooma District after defeating incumbent Juliet Agasha Bashiisha in a fiercely contested race.
The district Electoral Commission returning officer on Friday announced that Kyarampe polled 43,684 votes, against Bashiisha’s 23,773 votes. Another contender, Faith Kyohairwe, popularly known as Ikondere, came third.
The contest revived a long-running rivalry between Kyarampe and Bashiisha that dates back to the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party primaries held in September last year. In those primaries, Kyarampe defeated Bashiisha to clinch the NRM flag after securing 39,078 votes (52.3%), while Bashiisha obtained 22,134 votes (29.7%). Despite losing the party flag, Bashiisha went on to contest as an independent contrary to the NRM party guidelines blocking losers in the primaries to contest as independent, setting the stage for a highly charged general election.
The Mitooma Woman MP race was among the most hotly contested in the region, attracting high-level political attention. Notably, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, initially opposed Kyarampe during the party primaries, urging voters in Ruhinda North to reject her candidature.
However, in line with party requirements, Tayebwa later threw his weight behind Kyarampe as the NRM flag bearer and openly campaigned for her, a move that reportedly caused rifts between his camp and supporters of Bashiisha.
“I came here and asked you not to vote for her and urged you to vote for my sister who I already have in Parliament, but some of you defied and voted for her,” Tayebwa recently told voters in Rwoburunga and Kanyabwanga. “I promised that if she doesn’t win, I would back the flag bearer. And here I am.”
Kyarampe is now set to be sworn-in in May, as Mitooma District Woman MP in the 12th Parliament. She becomes the third woman to hold the seat since the district was carved out of greater Bushenyi in 2010.
The seat was previously held by Dr Canon Hon. Jovah Kamateeka (2011–2021) and Bashiisha (2021–2026).
Bashiisha was yet to concede defeat.
