The battle for the Kawempe North parliamentary seat has led to a show off by the 10 members of the National Unity Platform (NUP) who are vying for the party ticket who faced-off in a debate on Friday.

The event, the first of its kind was held at the NUP party headquarters at Makerere-Kavule, Kawempe Division, Kampala where all the 10 contestants have been tested in a range of issues that included; knowledge about the duties of a Member of Parliament, laws, problem solving and patriotism among others.

Some of the contestants struggled to explain themselves in English, ending up entertaining the gathering through antics while others showcased their experience beyond the average level.

Shortly after the debate, the NUP Party President Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu hailed the contestants for the commitment and called on the Party Vetting Committee to be transparent in choosing the best candidate to hold the party flag in order to win the race in the highly contested Kawempe North by-election.

Some of the contestants in the race included among others; Umar Magala, Elias Luyimbaazi Nalukoola, Muhammad Luswa Luwemba, Moses Nsereko, Mathias Mulumba and Eng. Kenneth Ssenkungu.

Jeremiah Keeya, the Secretary for the NUP Electoral Commission told journalists that the aspirants must respect the consent form that they signed on Thursday as a binding agreement and not engage in any activities that could harm the party’s reputation or interests.

Keeya revealed that some aspirants may attempt to defy the party’s decision and run as independent candidates but will automatically quit the party.

He disclosed that the party’s efforts in this exercise is aimed at maintaining party discipline and preventing internal conflicts that could undermine its chances in the Kawempe North by-election. 

The vetting committee is proceeding to Kawempe North Consistency to check from the public who would be the candidate of their choice before announcing the flag bearer on Tuesday next.

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