IBANDA: The Forum Democratic Change (FDC) has picked Alex Byaruhanga, 29, to hold the party flag for the Ibanda Municipality MP seat.
Mr Byaruhanga was chosen during the meeting held at the party head offices in Ibanda municipality last week. Mr Byaruhanga contested for the Ibanda South MP seat in 2016 on the FDC ticket but lost to Eng. John Byabagambi (NRM).
He will have to tussle it out with an NRM candidate who has not been chosen as the party is yet to conduct its primaries. It was supposed to elect the flag bearer last Friday but the exercise was postponed and a new date is yet to be fixed, according to Moses Arimwerenga, the party registrar.
12 people have expressed interest to hold the party flag, most of whom have already picked nomination forms. They include Peter Agaba, a sales manager with Unilever Uganda limited, Leticia Tuhebwe, the head teacher of Kagongo Parents’ Secondary School, Deus Murinde, the current mayor of Ibanda municipality, Ignatius Igundura, the coordinator of Civil Aviation Authority, Rwaburindore Tarsis Bishanga, Robert Kiromba, the chairperson of Ibanda district farmers association, John Mugenyi, Mwiine Innocent Bakamuhara, Benard Kakwene and Arthur Rwomushana, one of the directors of Alliance Schools.
Other candidates include Gilbert Mukama, and Benard Kakwene Mazirwe among others.
Ibanda is among other new municipalities like Bugiri, Apac, Kotido, Sheema, Buikwe and Nebbi that will be holding the elections on July 19.
The Electoral Commission will spend Shs6.7 billion on the parliamentary and local council elections in the seven new municipalities.