Government punishing us for losing by-election, residents claim

Boona Bageigahare Nyakundiere group founder Peace Rugambwa speaks during a meeting at Heritage Country club in Rukungiri Town on Wednesday. PHOTO BY PEREZ RUMANZI.

Rukungiri- Members of Boona Bageigahare Nyekundiere Group in Rukungiri District have accused the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government of sidelining them and failing to fund their projects after they lost the woman MP seat to Opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) on May 31, 2018 by-election.

The group that operates in Southwestern Uganda is reported to have 45,000 members in Rukungiri.

The leaders say while they were told by NRM leaders to recruit more members and mobilise for the party which they did when the election was over and the NRM candidate did not go through, they were neglected and even blocked from meeting the President.

“For us who supported the NRM during the by-election, we are disappointed because of the way we are being taken. We have proposed that we protest and show our dissatisfaction.

“I wrote to the Inspector General of Police, District Police Commander and Resident District Commissioner informing them of our planned demonstration, we want to show them that we really do exist as Boona Bageigahare Nyekundaire, because they have said we don’t exist and sat on our demands,” the chairperson of the group, Mr Topher Karabayi, said on Wednesday.

He was speaking during a meeting of the group’s sub-county leaders held at Heritage Country Club in Rukungiri Municipality. Each person paid Shs12,000 to become a member. They are expected to get agriculture inputs including seeds and animals. The elderly will get mattresses and those with poor shelter expect government to construct for them good houses.

The Bugangari Sub-county group coordinator, Mr Mohamed Khan Kakesa, said the group leaders at sub-counties, parishes and villages are being seen as con men who simply collected money to fund the NRM campaign and gave it to the group patron Peace Rugambwa to enrich herself.

Ms Peace Rugambwa, the group chairperson in South Western, said members campaigned and voted NRM candidate but the local leaders have been blocking their efforts to meet the President and get rewarded.

“It has been hard to meet the President. I think these people don’t hate me but they hate Mzee and they want him to fail and become unpopular,” Ms Rugambwa told the meeting.

Prior to the by-election, the President in April donated cash and items totalling to about Shs5 billion to more than 100 groups in the district, and pledged to extend assistance to other organised groups.

Misunderstanding
Rukungiri Resident District commissioner, Mr Dan Kaguta, has asked the group members to be patient.
“I don’t think there is any cause for alarm, some people do not know how government works.

“But there was a misunderstanding between the group and State House and this is being investigated. The agenda of these people shall be disclosed if the investigation ends,” Mr Kaguta said.

The Rukungiri LC5 chairman, Mr Adrewson Charles Katebire, said the group leaders have been making many false accusations against the district leadership

“The group is being investigated and shall be allowed to operate fully if the investigations are in their favour. They may also access funding from the President too,” Mr Katebire said.