By Ronnie Wabomba
BUDUDA
Watenga Godfrey Nabutanyi, the former Member of Parliament for Lutseshe County, and Justin Khainza, the former Woman Member of Parliament for Bududa District, have officially withdrawn from the 2026 parliamentary race for their respective constituencies — just hours before nominations.
Watenga, who lost to incumbent Isaac Modoi in the NRM primaries by a very narrow margin, had earlier declared his intention to contest as an independent candidate in what was expected to be another tight race.
However, he confirmed to our reporter on Tuesday, 21st October that he will not seek nomination for three main reasons: ill health, the desire for peace — fearing possible violence similar to that seen during the primaries — and the excessive monetization of campaigns where, he said, some candidates simply buy voters. He also cited respect for his party, the NRM, as another reason for stepping down.
Khainza also confirmed to our reporter that she would not take part in the nominations, despite her campaign posters already being displayed in various parts of Bududa.
