MUKONO — An independent candidate, James Luswata, popularly known as “Pesa,” has been elected LC1 Chairperson of Maternity Village in Mukono Municipality after the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate withdrew from the race amid overwhelming public support for the eventual winner.
The election, held at the Mukono Resource Centre on Tuesday as part of the nationwide Local Council I polls, attracted large crowds, with residents repeatedly chanting Luswata’s nickname before voting commenced.
The NRM flag bearer, Bosco Lubega, pulled out of the contest before voting, while another independent candidate, Grace Namakula, also withdrew, leaving the race between Luswata and Betty Asobola of the National Unity Platform (NUP).
Luswata went on to defeat Asobola, securing the village chairperson position in a closely watched contest that underscored the growing influence of independent candidates in local politics.
Following his declaration as the winner, Luswata immediately constituted his village executive committee and pledged to provide inclusive and accountable leadership focused on community development.
He promised to offer residents accessible leadership, empower young people through development initiatives, strengthen community efforts to combat crime, address unemployment and idleness among the youth, and work with government institutions to improve service delivery.
“Although I contested as an independent candidate, I will work closely with the government and support its development programmes because our common goal is to improve the welfare of the people,” Luswata said after taking office.
He urged residents to put aside political differences and work together for the development of Maternity Village, emphasizing that effective local leadership should prioritize service delivery over partisan interests.
The outcome was one of several notable contests recorded during Tuesday’s LC1 elections, where independent candidates mounted strong challenges against candidates sponsored by established political parties.
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