REVEALED! Why late Sarah Mateke sister quit by-election

By Moses Agaba

Kisoro

Ruth Nyiraneza the young sister of the late Sarah Mateke who had been fronted by Kisoro leaders has suddenly withdrawn from the upcoming Kisoro by-election leaving leaders and locals who had endorsed her to replace her elder sister reeling in disappointment.

Ruth Nyiraneza the last born of the family of Mzee Dr Philemon Mateke been endorsed during the council session that was held at the late Minister’s home Dr. Philemon Mateke in Bugahe village, Nyakabingo parish in Chai sub-county for Kisoro district in honor to the late Minister Mateke on 11th September 2024 after a motion was introduced by Nyakanama sub-county LC5 councilor Dianah Nakato.

In the same spirit, the Bufumbira North County MP John Kamara Niziyemana noted that the majority of people in Kisoro had supported the decision.

He stressed that the NRM party primaries scheduled for next year, having two primary elections would waste resources for those interested in contesting for a woman MP seat.

The gist of the moment was when Kamara called forward Ruth Nyiraneza, a younger sister of Nyirabashitsi where he said that “there was no need to traverse the whole district soliciting for votes in both primary and general elections for a candidate to complete the deceased’s term, Now there should not be any confusion of moving the whole district, every constituency, that we are looking for votes. I therefore want to propose that we go with this lady here, Ruth Nyiraneza as our candidate. Her sister has worked very well and everyone is praising her. Let Nyiraneza complete this term and then we shall see what happens in 2026”.

With Kamara’s proposal, speaker Amos Hakizimana asked his councilors, to which majority in the house said “aye” in support.

Other MPs in attendance including Dr James Nsaba Buturo for Bufumbira East, Eddie Kwizera WaGahungu for Bukimbiri County and Alex Niyonsaba Seruganda for Bufumbira South had spoken earlier, shared the same sentiments.

Eddie Kwizera Wagahungu the Bukimbiri County MP asked the family of Mateke to give “us a replacement that will fit in her daughter’s shoes”.

He called on the potential candidates adding that there is need to maintain peace and stability as the community healed from the loss of minister Mateke.

Kamara then presented her to Dr Chris Baryomunsi the minister of ICT as well the Western Uganda NRM Vice chairman and Vice President Rtd Major Jessica Alupo who represented President Museveni.

According to leaders, the seat was ring fenced for the family of Dr. Philemon Mateke and Ruth, being a family member, was seen as the ideal candidate to take over.

U-TURN

The coming days will be crucial in determining the course of the by-election and the future of Kisoro politics without the Mateke family as now the people of Kisoro will have to get a suitable replacement for late minister Sarah Mateke.

Reliable sources say that Dr Philemon Mateke, her father held a meeting at his home where he met some of the Kisoro leaders that were fronting Nyiraneza and informed them that she is not going to stand and the family were still mourning the loss of Sarah Mateke and made it clear they are not ready to go into political trenches again.

In the meeting they were also told that the pressure was getting too much on her.

She has reportedly opted to go back to the United Kingdom where she has been having a good job.

John Niyizeimana Kamara the Bufumbira North MP who has been the lead agitator for Ruth Nyiraneza to replace her sister says that they are worried that the confusion which was witnessed during the Bukimbiri by-election is likely to surface.

“We as leaders of Kisoro in endorsing Nyiraneza as the only person to stand we had thought that they were to have a peaceful election and bring harmony among all the leaders of Kisoro who the Bukimbiri bye-election brought a lot of divisions among the leaders but now that she has withdrawn we are so devastated,” said Kamara .

Kamara says that as the chairman of Kisoro parliamentary group he is not going to allow any form of confusion and chaos in Kisoro district in the coming by-election.

“We shall not allow anyone to bring confusion in Kisoro just because of a by-election. All we want is peace in the coming by-election, we do not want to see what happened in the past elections, to happen in this coming by-election.

I hear that so far there are over twelve candidates that have shown interest. Please NRM leadership leave your chaos and confusion in Kampala.”

Amos Hakizimana the Kisoro district speaker says that as people who wished Kisoro well and had endorsed her they thought that was the best way to give back to the Mateke family.

“We were sympathizing with the family of Mateke being a political pillar, we thought we had made the right decision to give back. We have no portion since Mateke senior has other children in future, they might pick interest but for now it is impossible,” Said Hakizimana.

Currently there are over thirteen candidates that have shown interest on the NRM ticket ahead of the Kisoro by-election. Kisoro voters will go go to polls for the NRM party primaries on the 25th October 2024.

Dr Philemon Mateke has been pivotal in the politics of Kisoro and Uganda having served in the Obote II government as minister of education when the government was overthrown he quickly embraced the NRM Government and stood for the Bufumbira South MP Seat from 1994 to 2001 when he quit and stood for Kisoro LC5 Boss where overwhelming won after serving for two terms he later quit elective politics but stood for the Kisoro NRM boss which he still is.