Get ready for some political drama in Kisoro as Ruth Nyiraneza Mateke, who lots thought would run for her late sister’s spot in Uganda’s parliament, just dropped a bombshell. She’s not running, and she’s calling out others who are trying to use her sister’s name to get ahead.
Imagine losing your sister, and then, everyone expects you to take her place. That’s what happened to Ruth Nyiraneza Mateke in Kisoro District, Uganda. Her sister, Sarah Mateke, was a big deal, the Kisoro Woman Representative and even a State Minister of Defense. Sadly, she passed away recently.
In a message that played on the radio and spread like wildfire on WhatsApp, Ruth thanked everyone for their support. She admitted that being considered for the position was a real honor. But she made it clear that she’s not running. She said, “due to personal reasons I could not run for the office of Kisoro Woman Representative.”
Further more, she wants everyone to know that she’s not backing any particular person to take over her sister’s job. She’s not picking favorites as per say. She’s even a little annoyed that some candidates are name-dropping her sister to get votes. Ruth thinks it’s disrespectful, especially since her family is still grieving.
She made it clear by saying that, “I have not endorsed any candidate and therefore urge whoever is running on the pretext that they were endorsed by myself to kindly stop.” Ruth believes that candidates should focus on their own ideas and qualifications instead of trying to ride her sister’s coattails.
She even added that, whoever is contesting they should do so on their own merit and desist from using her late sister’s name/photos to make their case. It’s clear that family and respect are really important to Ruth. She doesn’t want her sister’s memory to be used for political gain.
“Whoever is contesting they should do so on their own merit and desist from using my late sister’s name/photos to make their case. Please allow her to rest in peace.” She asserted. Instead, she wants everyone to remember Sarah for the amazing woman she was.
So, what’s next for the Kisoro Woman Representative seat? Well, there are tons of people hoping to go for it and claim it, like Rose Kabagyeni, Akifeza Grace Ngabirano, Sylivia Dushime, and a whole bunch more. It’s going to be a wild race indeed.
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Even though Ruth Mateke isn’t running, her announcement has shaken things up in Kisoro. It reminds everyone that family matters more than politics. As Ruth said, “Let the best candidate win.”
