Retired Col. Steven Basaliza aka Omudumizi, who is also the former Member of Parliament for Burahya county, in Kabarole District, has honorably stepped aside from the Western region Member of Parliament seat, in favour of Bishop Zebedee Masereka.

Bishop Masereka, who will contest for the said position in the 2021 general election, was endorsed during a meeting of elders that was held at Gardens Restaurant in Fort Portal city, on Monday afternoon.

During the said meeting, Basaliza, who has been in a stiff competition with Masereka for the newly created parliamentary position, observed that as elders, they don’t want to fight amongst each other but instead their main objective is to still unity for their well-being.

“If we as candidates from the Western region don’t unit and fight amongst ourselves, we shall lose out on the National Cake,” Basaliza said shortly after announcing his decision, before he wished Bishop Masereka all the luck and support he needs.

Chris Tushabe Karuba, an elderly person from Kasinda Sub-county they had endorsed Bishop Masereka because his manifesto focuses on several of the elderly people’s needs.

“Elderly persons from Tooro region have endorsed Bishop Masereka because his manifesto addresses several issues that are affecting elderly persons in the region,” Tushabe said.

On his part, Bishop Masereka said that his main target is to create unity amongst all elderly persons and a SACCO that will enable them improve their wellbeing.

Masereka promised to mobilise all senior citizens in the region to work together to form a SAACO that will be supported by the Microfinance Centre, which will help them in facilitating their wellbeing.

It should be noted that the Parliament of Uganda recently created five new seats for representatives of elderly persons in Uganda, which will be filled in the forthcoming general election.

It is against this background that Basaliza, who is an experienced politician and former legislator, had vowed to claim the western region MP seat for the elderly, such that he could patriotically serve his country once again, like he has always done in the past.

He said he got the inspiration to contest for the position after being requested by people of Rwenzori sub-region to represent them, which prompted him to contest as representative for the elderly people in Western Uganda.

Basaliza, who is also a former Commissioner Uganda Human Rights Commission, is a highly qualified economist and teacher, who holds a Masters degree in Human Rights, a Bachelors degree in Management, a professional lawyer and above all, a retired senior officer of the mighty Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF).

On the other hand, Bishop Zebedee Kahangwa-Masereka (also known as Masereka Kahangwa) was an Anglican bishop in Uganda, who formerly served as the Bishop of South Rwenzori from 1984 to 2003.