The opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) leaders attribute their party’s defeat in the recent Dokolo Woman parliamentary representative by-election to their refusal to engage in voter bribery, citing it as the prevailing tactic among a financially strained electorate.
Sarah Aguti Nyangkori, the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) candidate, emerged victorious in a relatively peaceful by-election, surpassing five other contenders, including Adongo Rose of the ruling party (NRM). NUP’s Ageno Harriet secured the fifth position with a mere 1.55 percent of the total votes.
In a social media post on his account, NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya suggests that the election outcome was foreseeable, given the electorate’s inclination toward monetary incentives witnessed during campaigning.
Rubongoya points to the widespread poverty in Dokolo District and much of Northern Uganda, attributing the exploitation of vulnerable voters by rival politicians to manipulate the election outcome. He implies that the tide turned against NUP when opponents began distributing 1000 shilling notes to sway voters, evident from the large crowds attending their rallies.
“….the people received us very warmly in anticipation of money. Women laid down their clothes, waved branches and sang songs to receive us. You could see that not many were interested in the message being delivered. As soon as we arrived, they started forming themselves into groups to receive money, akin to what other candidates had done. Then two middle-aged women approached me to ask me how we were going to distribute the money to them. I told them that we’re not allowed to give out money during campaigns, and told them we were here to bring them a message. You should have seen their disappointment and that of the others who they told. The enthusiasm died down and we left that point knowing that we didn’t make a good impression.” He posted on X.
He condemns the acts of voter bribery especially when communities are ‘deliberately impoverished’ for political reasons.
Below is Mr. Lewis Rubongoya’s message he posted on his X account @DavidLRubongoya on Monday.
“Nothing dehumanises whole communities like poverty. And if you want to understand the effects of poverty, visit several parts of Northern Uganda. We’ve been to by-elections in Omoro, Oyam and Dokolo and the pattern is depressingly similar. The mindset of the vast majority of the people is that your words must be followed by some money. The same people who have impoverished them will return to them during an election cycle, share with them some crumbs off the loot and buy themselves votes. Some politicians well knowing the trick, normally go to these areas with changed notes of 1,000. In Dokolo, it was crazy. (Indeed, several who were found with this kind of money were briefly arrested both in Dokolo and Oyam and released shortly after.)”
“It is such a crisis that at one rally in Dokolo, the people received us very warmly in anticipation of money. Women laid down their clothes, waved branches and sang songs to receive us. You could see that not many were interested in the message being delivered. As soon as we arrived, they started forming themselves into groups to receive money, akin to what other candidates had done. Then two middle-aged women approached me to ask me how we were going to distribute the money to them. I told them that we’re not allowed to give out money during campaigns, and told them we were here to bring them a message. You should have seen their disappointment and that of the others who they told. The enthusiasm died down and we left that point knowing that we didn’t make a good impression.”
UPC’s Head of Media and Communications, Muzeyi Faizo, has refuted David Lewis Rubongoya’s assertion that their victory in the Dokolo by-election was due to voter bribery.Faizo clarified that while there were reports of bribery by “other political camps,” UPC did not partake in such activities.
He emphasized UPC’s steadfast presence and denied any victory stemming from electoral malpractice, attributing their success to the party’s grassroots efforts, organizational efficiency, and a message resonating with voters’ concerns.
“Indeed we encountered cases of bribery from other parties but the voters defied the temptations of bribery. They are the money but voted for UPC. As a party in opposition, we (UPC) didn’t have enough resources, and our victory can be attributed to commitment of party leaders, high-level organization, and a message that focused on concerns of voters” Mr. Muzeyi Faizo stated.
Echoing Faizo’s stance, Electoral Commission (EC) deputy spokesperson Paul Bukenya commended the Dokolo by-election as a peaceful and successful exercise. Bukenya noted that the EC’s complaints desk received no reports of voter bribery or any disruptions, affirming that the electorate freely exercised their will across all polling stations in the district.
