High MP turnover blamed on minimal interaction with voters By: - TopicsExpress

High MP turnover blamed on minimal interaction with voters By: Emmanuel Egonda Anelka The high turnover of Members of Parliament in some constituencies has been attributed to minimal interaction between the MPs and the voters. The primarily roles of a member of parliament are legislative, representative and oversight. Some of the constituencies with a high MP turnover include Budaka County constituency in Budaka district and Samia Bugwe County South in Busia district. In Samia Bugwe County South, MPs have been elected in the respective Parliaments as follows; in the 6th Parliament, Gabriel Opio, 7th Parliament, Simon Mayende, 8th Parliament, Gabriel Opio and 9th Parliament, Julius Maganda. Idd Ouma a resident of Majanji sub-county in Samia Bugwe South says most of the MPs elected usually depend on middlemen who claim to know the political terrain of the constituency. Ouma says the MPs provide material and financial support to the middlemen as rewards for getting them elected. Ouma says when the middlemen realize the Member of Parliament is no longer popular, they then front another candidate hence the high turnover. Ouma says unless MPs remain in touch with the people who elected them into office, the trend will continue. But Julius Maganda the current Member of Parliament for Samia Bugwe South says there is need for government to carry out more sensitization on the cardinal roles of a Member of Parliament. This high political turnover has also hindered development in most areas since the social transformation is always tagged on particular political leaders. For example during Simon Mayende’s reign, a loan scheme for bright but needy students was set up. The scheme however stopped after Mayende was voted out in the 7th Parliament. Budaka County in Budaka district is another constituency with a similar trend. In the 6th Parliament Budaka County was represented by Thomas Kiryapawo, 7th Parliament, Nicholas Gole Davis, 8th Parliament, Loy Kiryapawo and 9th Parliament, Mbogo Kezekiah. Hakeem Kyengabo a resident of Mugiti village in Mugiti sub-county says the failure by MPs to lobby for better services in the constituency is the reason most of them are voted out. Kyengabo says when they elect an MP they expect an improvement in service delivery from government and other key players like civil society organizations which is not the case in Budaka County. Arthur Wako Mboizi the Budaka district chairperson blames the MPs for not contributing to the development of the district. Mboizi says as a district they have on several occasions invited MPs to attend district council meetings, all in vain. Mboizi says during such meetings, the MPs can advise council on matters to do with service delivery. He says the huge gap the members of Parliament give the people they represent explains the turnover. Kezekiah Mbogo the Budaka County MP admits the trend exists and as leaders they are sensitizing the public about the need to retain a Member of Parliament. Mbogo says electing a new MP after every five years leaves a lot of unfinished business and retards the constituency. Mbogo dismisses allegations of shunning district council meetings and maintains that he has endeavored to represent his people. But in Budadiri West constituency in Sironko district, Nathan Nandala Mafabi has been the Member of Parliament from the 7thParliament (2001) to date. Jackson Magombe a resident of Bugusege village in Buwalasi sub-county says he sees no reason for changing a Member of Parliament. Magombe says MP Nandala has lived up to the promises he made in his first term in 2001. Magombe says under Nandala’s leadership; government officials who have misused public funds have been brought to book. Magombe says this makes him a formidable candidate for the constituency. Michael Werikhe Kafabusa the Bungokho South County MP in Mbale has been at the helm since the 6th Parliament (1996). Robert Mukamba the LCIII chairperson for Bukasakya sub-county blames the expensive campaign costs for the low MP turn over in Bungokho South constituency. Mukamba says the constituency has over 600 villages with eleven sub-counties. But Steven Watamba a political assistant to MP Werikhe attributes their success to continued support of the people they represent and fulfillment of election pledges. Watamba says under Werikhe’s leadership, a number of projects ranging from infrastructure development like community access roads, health and access to clean water have been implemented. Watamba also claims that Werikhe is the only leader in Uganda who moves village to village visiting the people he represents. He says such closeness enables him to get views on issues affecting the people.