Last Updated on: 13th February 2023, 12:52 am
Preparations are in top gear to host the Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Anita Annette Among (AAA) in a thanksgiving service in Bunya South, Mayuge district on February 18, 2023.
The area MP Hon Iddi Isabirye says the function is to return thanks to God for seeing him through a number of challenges, especially the legal battle that went up to the Supreme Court. His rival Hon Robert Ntende had filed a case seeking to overturn Iddi’s election victory.
Ntende, who contested as an independent candidate garnered 14,364 votes thus losing to Isabirye (NRM) who obtained 19,883 votes, according to Electoral Commission results.
The other candidates were Salleh Mpaata (independent) with 5,613 votes, Kyeyago Jowali Kagwa (independent) with 828 votes, Ngobi Hamidun Hamuza (ANT) got 607 votes, Geoffrey Owori (FDC) obtained 544 votes and Ondial Willmax Brian (independent) trailed with 228 votes.
The ceremony will take place at Buluta Primary School, Buluta Parish in Malongo sub-county which gave the highest number of votes to Isabirye in the 2021 parliamentary polls.
“We could not find time to sit down and thank the campaign team and voters for giving me the mandate, so it’s only fitting that we do it now when the court has reaffirmed our victory…,” he said in a telephone interview.
Isabirye who bounced back in 2021 after a five-year parliamentary lull says he has invited a number of friends from parliament and outside to join him in raising funds to construct a girls’ hostel at Kaluba High School where he also passed through.
This, he says, is part of the various programmes to support girl child education in the constituency where most schools do not have boarding facilities for the learners.
Cases of sexual abuse, teenage pregnancies and early marriages, among others, have been on the rise in Mayuge where parents rent small rooms in trading centres and the girls end up compromising their studies.
“…some begin cohabiting, while others engage in sexual escapades for material gains and many get pregnant or are infected with STIs including HIV/AIDs,” Isabirye laments.
To mitigate the above, the lawmaker says a Girls’ hostel with proper management within the school premises will also encourage more parents to send their daughters to the school.
Isabirye also reveals that part of the funds raised from the drive will be used to support the maternity ward with equipment and other facilities.
He says most expectant mothers shun going for delivery to government health centres because of the lack of facilities where some mothers are forced to sleep on the floor.
“…no wonder the rate of infant and maternal mortality in Mayuge is worrying so it’s our responsibility as leaders with a mandate to give back by way of supplementing the government…” he said.
Mayuge is one of the 11 administrative units that form the traditional Busoga sub-region. These are Bugiri, Bugweri, Buyende, Iganga, Kaliro, Kamuli, Mayuge, Namayingo, Jinja district, Jinja City and Luka.