TWO women have joined the race to unseat President Yoweri Museveni, the party’s national chairman.
They are Elizabeth Nabatanzi Lugudde and Grace Bakaira. Nabatanzi contested for the same seat in 2005 and withdrew at the final hour, leaving President Museveni unopposed.
The second female contender, Bakaira, is the NRM vice-chairperson of the women’s league in Luuka district. She is also a prominent farmer in the district.
The other contender, Capt. Daudi Ruhinda Maguru, is a UPDF soldier. He holds a bachelors degree in economics and a masters degree in policy management from Makerere University.
Each of the new aspirants claims to possess a list of plans that will transform NRM after the elections.
Capt. Maguru wants to transform NRM into a party governed by principles of honesty, transparency and collective responsibility.
He also wants to fight corruption which he claims has not been dealt with during President Museveni’s time.
Unlike the female contenders who only want to take the party’s top position and leave President Museveni to be the flag bearer, Ruhinda wants both.
Meanwhile, Bakaira, a holder of a diploma in Agriculture from Bukalasa Agricultural Institute, argues that behind every successful man there must be a successful woman.
She said President Museveni also needs a successful female politician to help him with the big volume of work.
Bakaira claims that the President is too busy to serve the party effectively as the chairman and at the same time as the President of the country.
She claimed that many NRM supporters have remained entangled in unresolved wrangles because the President, who would have reconciled them is always busy.
On the other hand, Nabatanzi, a former special assistant to the President, claims that her candidature as a woman will bring more women into the party.
Nabatanzi says she has the qualities to serve because she is accessible, down-to-earth and an effective mobiliser.
Nabatanzi had earlier told Saturday Vision that she was going to vie for the post of the deputy secretary general.
