Fortunate Batinti Ahimbisibwe, a former investigative journalist at New Vision currently working in the UK has announced his bid for Rukungiri MP.
Fortunate will face off with the popular FDC candidate Rowland Kaginda and a horde of other contestants.
Rukungiri is a known opposition stronghold with only one NRM legislator in the whole district.
Who is Fortunate Batinti Ahimbisibwe?
He graduated in 2003 from Makerere University and worked at New Vision as a senior journalist for 7 years.
In 2009, Fortunate joined Ministry of Education and Sports as a Communications Specialist under a World Bank funded project until 2015 when he went out of the country for further studies in Britain.
He currently works in the Communications sector in London.
He has recently spoken out against Government excesses especially corruption and human rights violations. He writes extensively about politics and governance. He is active on social media.
Although Fortunate is known to support NRM and has previously worked for the government, Ahimbisibwe is not shy to point out when he thinks things have gone terribly wrong and believes that the old generation of NRM have contributed heavily to Uganda’s development.
But he adds that it’s time for the ‘bush war mentality to end’ and the country returns to a democratic process without interference from the army or state inspired violence against civilians.
As a veteran journalist, Fortunate is known to have close links within the NRM as well as People Power Movement and he previously wrote in support of Bobi Wine.
However, Ahimbisibwe is from a traditional NRM supporting family. His father, Mr Francis Batinti is a Senior Presidential Advisor to President Yoweri Museveni.
Asked about why he had chosen to join the race for a Parliamentary seat. He said: “It’s no longer viable to sit on the side-lines and point out things that are going wrong. I have decided to become a participant rather than a spectator. An individual can make a difference if he/she is in a position of influence, in a place where decisions are made. As an MP, I will promote accountability of public funds, fight against corruption and lobby for services for my Constituency. As an MP, it’s important to negotiate for service delivery within your area.”
“I have worked in a Ugandan Government ministry; I know how things work and what can be done to minimise leakage of public funds. I can be part of the solution. I am currently working for a Local Government body in London; I have seen what public service delivery means. I know what difference it makes if public funds are put to proper use.”
On whether he is standing on NRM or as an independent, he said, “For NRM, we might differ on policies and priorities, but I believe we agree on our principles. I am open minded; I believed an MPs job extends to all people in the community regardless of their political persuasion. I have friends everywhere, NRM, FDC, DP, People Power and ANT. I represent all these groups and I will be appealing to people from all sides to vote for me”
