The National Unity Platform (NUP) party contestants for Kawempe North Member of Parliament in a race for party flag bearer have promised suitable reforms in commitment to bettering livelihoods and resources to the people of the constituency.
Speaking to the party members and voters on February 7, 2025, at the party headquarters at Makerere Kavule, Erias Luyimbazi Nalukoola said that the people of Kawempe have a big challenge of unemployment, and there is a need to come up with a minimum wage in parliament.
“There are many of our young people who are working in factories around Kawempe and are being exploited by being paid little money because we don’t have a minimum wage,” Nalukoola said.
According to him, this initiative will help the youth who are employed in different factories in Kawempe earn some decent livelihood.
Magara Umaru, another contestant, mentioned that Kawempe was faced with poor health facilities, which required renovation and adequate drugs, especially at Kawempe Referral Hospital.
“We have a big health challenge in Kawempe, and before we get people out of poverty and empower them, they first need to be healthy,” Magara stated.
Nsereko Moses said that if elected, he will ease the burden of expensive services by introducing bursaries for the orphans to study for free and also construct a health center with an ambulance.
Serunkuma Salim, in affirming that the unemployment levels in Kawempe were high, stated that there is a need to set up more jobs for the people of Kawempe.
A total of 10 candidates have already been nominated by the NUP leaders, though the party is yet to pronounce to the Electoral Commission who will be their official flag bearer.
Earlier on, the party leaders had warned the contestants to swear to a No Independent Run policy, emphasizing that whoever went against this agreement would automatically cease to be a party member.
NUP Secretary General Lewis Rubongoya said that the process is still in progress, and the public will receive more information after the subsequent deliberations.
“The Election Management Committee has already vetted the candidates, and you, the people, have heard them make promises, so we shall continue to assess them from the ground, and soon we shall announce our official candidate,” Rubongoya explained.
The party president, Robert Kyagulanyi, reiterated the importance of the debate in upholding the party’s democracy.
The NUP secretariat will announce their official flag bearer on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. According to the Electoral Commission roadmap, the Kawempe North by election will be held on March 13, 2025 alongside other parties.
The Kawempe North parliamentary seat became vacant following the death of Muhammad Ssegirinya on January 9, 2025.
