Ibanda district is known for many things. Brilliant brains, the love for meat, alcohol and in some circles women.
With several prominent bigshots in the business, entertainment, academic and political spheres hailing from the district including failed Presidential candidate Professor Baryamureeba, Business Patrick Bitature, Radio presenters Seanice and Nancy Kacungira, Crystal Newman, the place commands respect as a great one.
Ibanda town council having been granted Municipality status last year, the drive to have an MP for the slot started off with NRM conducting primaries for who would be the party candidate to claim the seat.
With over 8 candidates in the race, the main contenders were mostly two-Deusdedit Mulinde, and new political entrant and business man- Rwabulindore Bishanga.
Confident candidates lose
Walking with the confidence of a well-fed lion, Mulinde told all and sundry that he would be in Parliament seeing that there was no credible candidate to challenge him.
Unknown to Mulinde, Businessman Rwabulindore who had previously been linked to the FDC party, reformed, moved to the ruling party NRM and started traversing the Ibanda countryside selling his candidature as Mulinde swagged in the municipality where he owns various businesses including a petrol station, coffee mill, resort and huge farm.
With cheering supporters who incidentally were also being wooed by the Rwabulindore camp, Mulinde knew the vote was his to take.
But from the results announced by NRM Electoral Commission Chairman Tanga Odoi, Mulinde garnered 6,255 while Rwabulindore picked 6,621 votes.
Money isn’t everything
Talk in Ibanda is that both candidates went out of their way to spend colossal sums of money. Mulinde spent a whopping 800million while Rwabulindore spent a less or similar amounts.
The amount of money spent for just primaries is a reflection of how contentious and possibly lucrative, the seat was for both candidates.
With both candidates being long time-known Ibanda residents with businesses across the town, voters had to choose a candidate based on who was propagating a good agenda.
Mulinde’s integrity questioned
Deusdedit Mulinde rose to fame over his anti-corruption stance on the former town clerk Tibanyendera Kafura who was accused of being overly corrupt, and had not served the municipality.
Kafura was also a close ally of the former mayor Emmanuel Kafuniza, who is reportedly President Museveni’s cousin. The two were accused of running the town’s coffers down with no tangible services delivered.
Promising to end the corruption and drive agenda towards serving the town residents, Mulinde was hailed and overwhelmingly voted.
After ascending to the position, Mulinde slid into a “dictatorial” phase where his word was final and alienated the voters who had seen him as their savior.
Time to pay
Having taken voters for granted and carried out a litany of “sins” including being rude, dictatorial and unreachable, Mulinde set himself as an untrusted leader leaving him vulnerable.
Taking advantage, Rwabulindore appealed to the voters who indeed have decided he is the right man for the job.
Sources in the Mulinde camp say he might still contest on the Independent ticket.