What next for Atugonza?

LOST POLL: Atugonza

What you need to know:

Hoima Mayor Francis Atugonza recently lost his seat to NRM’s Mary Grace Mugasa. But what lies ahead for the man who has had a controversy-filled political life? Francis Mugerwa explores the options;-

The Hoima town mayor, Mr Francis Atugonza, is winding up his five- year term in office after losing to Ms Mary Grace Mugasa (NRM). Atugonza’s time in office has been punctuated by arrests, demonstrations and protests. The FDC’s national trade and industry secretary, who had a push- and-pull contest with the ruling NRM party and government, has contested the mayoral polls, claiming the election was marred by massive irregularities. “There was massive voter bribery, ballot stuffing, and intimidation of opposition supporters by security agencies,” Atugonza says.

Heavy deployment
He claims the heavy police deployment in Hoima town on the polling day intimidated opposition supporters from turning up to vote for him. Mr Atugonza adds that NRM agents ferried voters from areas outside the municipality cast ballot. He also contests the voters’ roll used in the poll, claiming that it contained ghost voters recruited through multiple registration and voted in an election he describes as a sham.
But Ms Mugasa has advised Mr Atugonza to concede defeat, insisting that her victory is legitimate.

The district returning officer, Mr Erasmus Kimbowa, also insists the election was free and fair. He says the fact that his office has not yet received a petition challenging the mayoral election results, is an indication that candidates had accepted the poll outcome. But Mr Atugonza says there was massive voter bribery which hindered the voters to freely exercise their choice. “NRM used over Shs1 billion against me,” he says.

Atugonza says a lot of force was put on him as well as other opposition leaders who stood on electoral seats in Bunyoro with a motive of failing them. “NRM did not want me and any other opposition leaders to win an election in Bunyoro so as to deny us a platform to critique land grabbing and lack of transparency in the oil industry,” Atugonza argues.

But Mr Richard Agaba (FDC) won the youth councillor slot for Kigorobya town council, Mr Isaac Bongomin, the Masindi FDC secretary general won the Kijuura north councillor seat to represent it in the Central Division of Masindi Municipality, Ms Fatuma Nyangoma, a member of the Masindi FDC women’s league won the race to represent Kigando ward in the Kigullya Division in Masindi Municipality, whereas Mr Isma (FDC) won the seat for councillor for Kiraasa in the Central division in Masindi Municipality.

Although Atugonza claims to have evidence of the alleged electoral malpractices, he says like his boss, FDC president Dr Kizza Besigye, he will not go to court. “I have left my fate in the hands of the public,” he said.

Mr Atugonza, who claims that there were numerous attempts by NRM to buy him out of the opposition, has vowed to lead a busy political life even after losing the poll. “I will continue mobilising the people to understand the injustices which are being done by those holding public offices,” he says.

The district NRM secretary general, Mr Yunusu Mugabe, says Mr Atugonza’s accusations against NRM are unfounded. “NRM is a mass and popular party. It is has massive grass root support and FDC could not win here. He (Atugonza) is fronting baseless claims against NRM after losing an election. We defeated him in a free and fair election. NRM will continue developing Hoima and Uganda as a whole and consolidate its achievements,” Mugabe says.

Atugonza says he will remain critical of the government failures which he lists as corruption, failure to improve the welfare of the people of Bunyoro, infrastructural breakdown in the midwestern region and lack of transparency in the country’s nascent oil industry.

“Losing an election which was not free and fair will not deter me from spearheading development for my people. I will lead a crusade to improve my people’s welfare and advocate for the need for the Banyoro to benefit from the natural endowments in their motherland,” he says. Atugonza says he will use FDC and the Constitution to realise his plans. But, even as he plans the next step, Atugonza still has several cases to battle in court.

Court battles
He is under prosecution in the Anti-Corruption Court over abuse of office. The state accuses him of illegally selling a plot of land to Warid Telecom Ltd, for erecting a mast, a claim Atugonza denies. He is also under prosecution in the Mwanga II Magistrate’s court over a charge of obtaining money by false pretence.

Atugonza has also sued the Attorney General and several military officers whom he accuses of torturing him in a safe house in Kampala in 2008 before he was dumped at Old Kampala Police Station and later charged for obtaining money by false pretence.