Uganda presidential election loser asks Museveni for a job

One of the losers in the Ugandan presidential election has come out to ask President-Elect Yoweri Museveni to give her a job.

In an interview with Uganda’s radio station XFM, Maureen Kyalya stated that she would cherish working in Museveni’s government since she has “nothing to do in the next five years.”

“I don’t believe in serving Uganda only as president. I am not going to sit in my house for five years and wait for the next chance to run for presidency,” she is quoted as saying.

Prior to the February 18 presidential election, Kyalya had exuded confidence in winning the seat saying she was ready to hire Museveni as her political advisor, an offer that the 71-year-old had accepted.

“She had first asked me to be her Vice President if she wins the presidency but I refused and told her I would be her political advisor instead,” Museveni had joked during the second presidential debate.

Kyalya garnered a paltry 40,598 votes in the just concluded presidential election which was won by the Yoweri Museveni who got 5,617,503 votes.

Museveni’s fiercest rival Kizza Besigye was second with 3,270,290 while former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi was third with 132,574 votes.

The win guarantees Museveni, who has led the country for 30 years, another five-year term.

Several Heads of State including Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, Tanzania’s John Pombe Magufuli and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma have congratulated Museveni for the win.

Election observers have however expressed their reservations with the election outcome, with EU EOM saying the playing ground was not free and fair.

Both Besigye and Mbabazi have also disputed the results and have vowed to seek reprieve in the courts.

Besigye under house arrest

Meanwhile, police in Uganda have placed Besigye under house arrest after his attempt to access the Uganda Electoral Commission (EC) headquarters on Monday was thwarted.

Besigye had urged his supporters to hold a peaceful protest to the EC Headquarters to receive the declaration form as he contemplates filing an election petition at the Supreme Court.

The 59-year-old former Nairobi-based doctor, who had been under house arrest since the announcement of the results on Saturday, was however arrested as he left his house on Monday morning.

Read more on Ugandan elections and results.

@benjaminwafula