NELSON K
Rukungiri Municipality NRM incumbent Member of Parliament, Dr. Elisa Rutahigwa, has officially announced that he will not contest as an independent candidate in the forthcoming general elections. Instead, he has pledged full support to the party’s flag bearer, Gen. Henry Tumukunde.
Dr. Rutahigwa made the announcement during the NRM reconciliation meeting held on Monday at Riverside Hotel in Rukungiri Municipality. The meeting aimed to unite party members following the recently concluded NRM primary elections.
He affirmed his commitment to supporting all NRM flag bearers, including Gen. Tumukunde, who emerged victorious in the primaries. “I have chosen this path for the best interests of our party and to promote its progress and unity in Rukungiri District while embracing President Museveni’s leadership,” he said.
The legislator also cautioned party members who lost in the primaries against harboring hatred and divisions. He urged them to rally behind the NRM flag bearers and work as one family for the party’s success. “We must stop fighting each other and instead support those who won, because we are all members of the same political family,” Rutahigwa emphasized.
Despite ongoing reconciliation efforts within the party, Dr. Rutahigwa expressed concern that divisions often persist even after such meetings. He called for genuine hearts, honesty, and faithfulness among NRM District Executive Committee members and party supporters, stressing the need to end sectarian tendencies in Rukungiri politics.
Meanwhile, Gen. Henry Tumukunde, the NRM flag bearer for Rukungiri Municipality, appreciated the organizers of the reconciliation meeting but noted that it came a little late, just days before the Electoral Commission nominations. He, however, welcomed the reconciliation spirit and expressed gratitude to his former competitors, including Dr. Rutahigwa and Counsel Isaac Atukunda, for embracing unity. He revealed that he was in the final stages of reconciling with Andrew Kikira to consolidate NRM support in the area.
