Igeme Samson Nabeta, the incumbent Member of Parliament for Jinja South East Constituency, has announced his decision to run as an independent candidate in next year’s general elections.
This comes after Nabeta lost an electoral petition against Richard Mbazira, who secured the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag for the same seat.
In an interview Nabeta revealed that he had advised President Yoweri Museveni to abolish NRM primaries, citing widespread irregularities.
“The primaries have lost relevance due to issues like aspirants bringing in outsiders to vote,” Nabeta stated. He pointed to his recent defeat in the NRM primaries, where he garnered 2,636 votes against Mbazira’s 6,700, as evidence of systemic flaws.
Undeterred by the setback, Nabeta declared his intent to contest the Jinja South East seat as an independent. “I am coming as an independent candidate, and I am confident in the support of my constituents and the Patriotic League of Uganda,” he said.
Nabeta’s decision marks a significant shift in Jinja’s political landscape, setting the stage for a heated electoral battle.
Nabeta leverages his incumbency and local support to challenge Mbazira and other contenders in next year’s general elections.