Constituents of Budiope West constituency in Buyende district on Sunday welcomed the Presidency Minister, Milly Babirye Babalanda, who expressed interest to represent the electoral area in the next Parliament. Balanda declared joining elective politics with her commitment to representing Budiope West, which is currently undertaken by Hon Ibrahim Kyoto.
Babalanda has faced criticisms for her “political confusion” of failing to decide on which constituency to contest and a legislative candidate. Initiative posts from her purported media team indicated interest in Jinja City woman member of Parliament seat, and posters reading “Babalanda for Jinja North” were later posted on social media platforms on top of political consultations.
Gathered at Imeru primary school in Nkondo Subcounty, electorates raised voices asking the minister to represent them in the 12th Parliament. The residents want their challenges to be tabled in the August house after their current legislator got lost since the 2021 general elections.
Electorates who recently conducted a peaceful demonstration demanding for government to establish whereabouts of their MP whom they accuse of failing to present their challenges on the floor of Parliament.
Addressing the congregation comprising Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), National Resistance Movement (NRM) dignitaries and other local leaders, Babalanda expressed her readiness to serve the area, stating that her joining elective politics, she has not come to fight anybody.
“I am here not to fight anybody but ensuring service delivery for my people of Budiope to benefit from government,” said Babalanda.
Babalanda pledges effective representation, vowing to address the issues of Budiope in the legislative arm of government. Housing several landing sites electorates of Budiope West are victims of the activities of the UPDF’s Fisheries Protection Unit (PFU) that resorted to torturing fishermen on the lake.
The minister said she will bring the fisheries minister, Hellen Adoa, in Buyende district to interven the cries of fishermen and urged the FPU in Bukungu to desist from beating up locals in their operations on the lake.
Babalanda wants Budiope to have piped water to promote the health of the people.
“Those who have words can continue talking behind our back as we continue delivering services,” she said before donating shs1 million to procure desks at Imeru primary school.
Addressing electricity challenges, the minister promised to replace the faulty transformer at Nakasedere Trading Centre in Nkondo Subcounty before the end of this month.
“I am going to contact the concerned office to ensure that our people resume using power very soon,” she noted, pledging to send graders to the constituency to work upon all the impassabler roads in the area.
She also vowed to ensure that a doctor is sent to Kidera Health Centre IV to answer the question of poor health service delivery.
Julius Ngobi, a resident of Ndorwa village, believes that Babalanda is now the saviour of Budiope after several individuals were entrusted with power to represent the area but remained disappointing.
“We voted for John Bosco Mubiito. He did nothing, and we tried out Robert Musoke, but all was in vain to take our issues in Parliament. We have now received Babalanda as the saviour of our constituency,” said Ngobi.
