Uganda's Stella Nyanzi to vie political seat

Kampala. Former Makerere University research fellow and activist Dr Stella Nyanzi ha signaled her entry to politics after she recently picked nomination forms to run for the Kampala District Woman MP seat on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party ticket.

Other three incumbent MPs who had picked FDC nomination forms by Monday include Mr Robert Centenary (Kasese Municipality), Angeline Osegge (Soroti Woman) and Cecilia Ogwal (Dokolo Woman).

The secretary of the FDC electoral commission, Mr Augustine Ojobile, said Dr Nyanzi promised to return the forms soon.

He said they expect more people to pick nomination forms at the district party offices.

“The deadline for picking the nomination forms for all those planning to contest for parliamentary and other positions ends on July 7. We shall then be able to tell how many people have picked the forms,” Mr Ojobile said.

Dr Nyanzi told Daily Monitor that she is determined to run for the woman MP seat.

“I made my aspiration public immediately after I had been released from the prison. I have been consulting constituency members. I have also been doing a problem analysis on Kampala and I decided to pick the forms through my FDC party,” she said.

According to Dr Nyanzi, most MPs who enter Parliament forget the grievances of their voters, so she is here to change the face of politics in the city.

Mr Centenary also said he is ready to serve his people in Kasese for the second term.

“I have been in this seat only once and there are certain things I promised my voters that I have not been able to fulfil. With the second term, I will be able to fulfil all the promises I made to my voters,” he said.

Ms Ogwal declined to confirm picking the forms.

“I am not the party spokesperson. That is the role of the party spokesperson to tell the public who has and who has not picked the forms,” she said. Ms Osegge on the other hand said she had not yet picked her nomination forms.