The National Political Mobilizer for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party Ingrid Kamateneti Turinawe has said she will contest as an independent candidate for the Rukungiri Municipality MP seat.
The development follows fateful party primary elections on Tuesday where Ingrid lost to a one Warren Tumwine Nuwagaba, the outcome she vehemently disputes citing electoral malpractices.
Nuwagaba polled 130 votes against Turinawe’s 65 votes while the incumbent, Hon Roland Mugume Kaginda came third.
Ingrid Turiname protested the results citing voter bribery and announced that she will be contesting as an independent candidate.
According to Ingrid, Nuwagaba allegedly bribed voters with 400,000-500,000 shillings. She also adds that she cannot back a candidate whose victory is questionable.
However, FDC Secretary General, Nathan Nandala Mafabi said that any FDC member who will contest as an independent candidate or support independent candidates will be subjected to disciplinary action.
“I will stand, I will contest, I am an FDC, everyone knows. What I don’t have is the party flag, I was denied the party flag by the money that was dished out. Nobody has tried to investigate where that money came from.” Turinawe said.
A known close associate of former FDC President Dr Kiiza Besigye, Ingrid Turinawe has previously given a shot at the task of a legislator, but was not so successful.
In February 2017, Ingrid contested one of the seats to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) but encountered a very hostile reception in the parliamentary chamber, when she went to declare her candidacy, due to her frosty relationships with the Ugandan MPs, the majority of whom belong to the ruling National Resistance Movement.
When the actual voting took place Turinawe received a paltry 25 votes out of a possible maximum of 398 votes.