19 Year Old S6 Vacist Picks Presidential Forms

BY ROBERT KAMUKAMA

KAMPALA, Uganda|SHIFTMEDIA| A 19-year-old boy has picked presidential nomination papers from the Electoral Commission. Hillary Humphrey Kaweesa, who is in his senior six vacation, and a former student of Mengo Senior secondary school is among the nine people who have so far picked presidential nomination papers ahead of next year’s general elections.

Kaweesa says that he attained three principal passes in the 2019 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations which makes him legible to contest for the presidency. He also says that he hopes to raise the Shs 20 million nomination fees from well-wishers. Among other requirements, aspirants are required to collect 100 signatures from every district to support their nomination.

“I have all the qualifications, am a good leader of course, and a Ugandan citizen. I have always been a counsellor and I have always aspired for big positions. I have been a big dreamer and an achiever. At Mengo generally, I was a class counsellor,” he said.

In 2017, MPs scrapped the presidential age-limit of 75 years. They also lowered the age eligibility for president from 35 to 18 years. Another aspirant Mathew Mutyaba also picked the nomination forms. Mutyaba, who is disabled and a lawyer by profession, says that he is confident of winning the presidency because he has been spiritually called to lead.

“I had a call inside of me after seeing my country the way it is and the way I was led by the spirit because am a God-fearing giant, and I take God to be number one. What has made me to come is that I have seen my fellow Ugandans really, they need to be touched upon, they need to be guided, they need to be helped in order to bring a low person to come to the level whereby he feels good or he appreciates in his or her country. I decided to come because no matter to the physical appearance because of what I am because in our fraternity we have a say that disability is not inability, so I decided to come in order to add on to where the former had reached…” said Mutyaba.

Mutyaba, who is 34 years, says that he has contested in several positions like the local council elections and the parliamentary seat, but lost.

“I have always scored less because the voters did not believe in me after looking at my physical disability forgetting that my inner ability is not like the physical one,” Mutyaba says.

Other aspirants who picked the forms on Wednesday include 46-year-old pastor Henry Byamukama, 41-year-old Christopher Alibankowa a retired military officer, and Simon Peter Serunjoji.

On Tuesday, other aspirants including, Robert Kyagulanyi, the leader from National Unity Platform (NUP) also picked presidential nomination papers. Though Kyagulanyi was not physically present at the Electoral Commission, his nomination papers were picked by Paul Simbwa Kagombe the senior administrative secretary for NUP.