Ann Lumumba Ruyondo has been elected the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer for the position of Chairperson of the National Women’s Council after defeating incumbent Hajat Faridah Kibowa in the party primaries.
Ruyondo polled 109 votes against Kibowa’s 25, securing 81.3 per cent of the votes cast in the election to choose the NRM flag bearers for the national leadership of the Women’s Council.
The primaries also saw Agnes Kirabo Nantongo emerge as the party’s flag bearer for Vice Chairperson after securing 81 votes, representing 69.8 per cent of the total votes cast.
Nankunda Hope won the race for Secretary for Finance with 108 votes, representing 93.1 per cent, while Shakila Mwoyi was elected the NRM flag bearer for Publicity Secretary after polling 54 votes, equivalent to 40.3 per cent.
The results were announced by the NRM Electoral Commission, chaired by Dr Tanga Odoi, following the conclusion of the party primaries for the various national positions on the National Women’s Council.
Speaking after being declared winner, Ruyondo paid tribute to Kibowa for her service and pledged to build on the foundation laid by the outgoing chairperson.
“I promise you I’ll start from where you stopped and I’ll do much better. I’ll not let the office down. I’ll not let your hard work fail,” Ruyondo said.
She said her leadership would focus on strengthening the role of the National Women’s Council and ensuring that its work reaches women at the grassroots.
“It is time for this office to be heard, heard at the village,” she said.
Kibowa, who said she had chaired the council for about seven to eight years, congratulated the successful candidates and urged them to remain mindful of the women who elected them from the grassroots to the district level.
She said leaders of the Women’s Council have a responsibility to mobilise women for development and ensure that they are empowered with information about government programmes and opportunities.
Kibowa also emphasised the importance of knowledge among women leaders, arguing that they must first empower themselves before they can effectively support and guide women in their communities.
However, the outgoing chairperson raised concerns about the campaign process, saying she was not given sufficient time to present her record and agenda to voters ahead of the election.
“I did not get an opportunity to see the voters before the election. The five minutes that I was given as an incumbent were not enough to exhaust what you really needed to hear from a chair who has chaired the Women’s Council for the last seven, eight years,” Kibowa said.
Despite her defeat, Kibowa said she was proud of the contribution she had made during her tenure and welcomed the election of a new leadership team.
She said she had dedicated her time in office to protecting and supporting women and pledged to continue serving as a mother and advocate for women even after leaving the chairperson’s office.
NRM Women’s League National Chairperson Adrine Kobusingye congratulated the winners and urged unsuccessful candidates to support the party’s flag bearers rather than contest as independents.
Kobusingye described the elections as an important milestone for women within the ruling party, saying women were increasingly taking up competitive leadership positions.
“I call upon you to join hands. Let us work together for our mothers, for our daughters, for our country, for the generations to come,” she said.
She reminded the successful candidates that leadership should be viewed as an opportunity to serve rather than simply occupy a position of authority.
“Leadership is a service and not just a chair,” Kobusingye said.
She urged the newly elected flag bearers and other party members to remain united as they prepare for the next stage of the electoral process.
Meanwhile, NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr Tanga Odoi cautioned candidates against individuals he accused of misleading contestants and soliciting money while presenting themselves as influential party mobilisers.
Odoi said some individuals had emerged claiming to have influence or positions within the party and allegedly moved from one candidate to another seeking money, warning that such practices could undermine party activities.
He also defended the work of the NRM Electoral Commission against allegations of malpractice, maintaining that the commission had done its best to conduct the primaries transparently.
Odoi further cautioned candidates and delegates against abandoning the party after the conclusion of the primaries.
He urged unsuccessful candidates to support those who had won and called on NRM members to remain loyal to the party’s flag bearers during the subsequent elections.
The Electoral Commission subsequently declared the successful candidates as the official NRM flag bearers for their respective positions on the National Women’s Council.
Attention will now turn to the National Women’s Council elections scheduled for Friday, September 4, where the NRM flag bearers will face candidates from other political parties and independent contestants in the race for the various national leadership positions.
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