The Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM)’s report on unregulated spending and it impacts on electoral participants in Uganda shows that in 2016 general election over Shs2.4 trillion was spent by political parties and candidates on Presidential and Parliamentary election campaigns countrywide.
The report also predicts that in the next general elections candidates might spend much money doubling what was spent in 2016 general elections.
In an interview with Watchdog Uganda, politician Andrew Kimbugwe said that candidates always spend money in elections as if they are demons possessed.
Kimbugwe was one of the chief campaigners of Asia Kinaabi Nabisere who lost the Kampala Woman MP seat to to Nabilah Ssempala.
“Electorates have a mindset that whoever joins the electoral race has got money and he/she is supposed to give it out and our candidates have always proved it right, that election is about who spends more,” said Kimbugwe.
Here are seven politicians who lost their wealth after losing elections:
1.Magaret Angufiru
Before the year 2006 Angufiru was a promising professional nurse who served as a Principal Tutor at Arua School of Comprehensive Nursing Officer (Moyo district), she was also a Tutor at Lira School of Nursing, however, in 2006 Angufiru cut short her career and joined politics where she contested for Ayivu county Parliamentary seat, fortunately, she won.
In 2011 elections she came back questing for the second term however she lost. Again in 2016, she came back to revenge but she was again defeated. Angufiru narrates that during the party primaries of NRM she had saved Shs100m which was not enough, this forced her to borrow from local financial institution Shs25m promising to pay within six months unfortunately she failed to pay and it has now accumulated to Shs47m.
Angufiru has lost all her prime properties including land with a house in scale area of Arua municipality valued at Shs150m. Her medical school (St. John’s College of Health Science) valued at Shs300m was also taken by the bank after failing to pay the loan. However she insists that she will be on ballot paper come next general elections because according to her, going to Parliament is the only way she can redeem her economic status.
2. Isaac Apenyo
On 5th October 2015, National Resistance Movement (NRM) conducted primaries for the party flag bearer of Ajuri Member of Parliament and Apenyo contested in these primaries but he lost to the incumbent Hamson Denis Obua. However he refuted results and dragged Obua and the NRM to High Court in Lira District, unfortunately, the case was dismissed in 2017 and was ordered to pay Shs 84.6m
Since he had spent all his money during campaigns in party primaries, he failed to pay instead he went into hiding.
On 1st April 2019 Lira High Court issued an arrest warrant to M/S Collectica Associates High court and Auctioneers to arrest Apenyo, he was tracked down, arrested and brought to the civil court on the 15th April 2018.
Court eventually sent him to civil prison to serve a sentence of six months. Up now Apenyo is still nursing wounds due to his participation in electoral process as a candidate.
3.Crispus Ayena Odongo
He was the Member of Parliament Oyam North County in the 9th Parliament. In 2016 he stood again on the Uganda Peoples’ Congress (UPC) ticket and lost to Col (Rtd) Charles Okello Engola Macadwong of the NRM by a margin of 5,989 votes.
Odongo denounced the results and filed a petition in the High court to nullify the election on grounds of questioning the academic papers which Col Okello presented to the electoral Commission for nomination.
In June 2016 the High court nullified the election but Okello filed an appeal in court which overturned the decision of the High court and upheld Okello as a duly elected MP for Oyam North county.
Court of Appeal also rewarded Shs146m against Odong which he failed to pay. On 11th July this year he was arrested by agents of Spearlink Auctioneers and Court Bailiff over failure to pay the above money. He was taken to court the following day and was asked to pay at least Shs73m to gain his freedom or be committed to civil prison for six months. Odong paid the money which left him bankrupt. Up now he is still overwhelmed at how expensive are electoral campaign in Uganda.
4. Apollo Kantinti
In the recent general elections Kantiti successful beat NRM candidate Mike Sebalu with a margin of 326 votes only.
Since the difference was small between a winner and a loser, Sebalu didn’t accept the results and petitioned court . In July 2016 court nullified Kantinti’s election as MP foe Kyadondo East. He however appealed against the High court’s judgement unfortunately he lost and a by-election was organised in-which he lost to musician turned politician Robert Kyagulanyi commonly known as Bobi Wine.
When he lost the case in Court of Appeal he had to pay Shs180m to his opponent Sebalu however he vowed not pay and preferred to go in prison for six months.
While grappling in jail, his sentence was extended due to failure to pay a 3-year loan he contracted from Standard Chartered Bank. It’s alleged that he borrowed Shs300m and was supposed to pay in 50 monthly installments which he failed to do.
Up now Kantinti is still languishing in jail but the genesis of his suffering is traced right from the unregulated spending of money in campaigns.
5.Isaac Etuka
The Upper Madi County Member of Parliament Isaac Etuka Joakino has been in jail since July for failing to pay Shs21m to his opponent Arumadri John Drazu, the former MP for Madi who had challenged his 2016 election victory.
After being defeated by Etuka, Arumadri, a Forum for Democratic Change candidate in the elections, went in Arua High Court challenging Etuka’s nomination and his victory. But Justice John Keitirima ruled that Etuka was legally nominated a ruling that Arumadri also didn’t agree with thus appealing in court.
The court of appeal overturned Keitirima’s ruling and a new election was organised and Etuka was asked to pay Shs21m although he won the by-election, he didn’t pay Arumadri costs of the appeal.
6. Simon Muyanga Lutaaya
In the last general elections, journalist Muyanga Lutaaya contested for Bulamogi Parliamentary seat as a flag bearer for FDC, unfortunately, he lost to the NRM candidate Lubogo Keneth. He challenged the results in Jinja High Court but the court ruled in favour of Lubogo and asked Muyanga to pay Shs153m to Lubogo.
Nevertheless, Muyanga went ahead to the court of appeal challenging High court’s ruling however he didn’t succeed since the ruling was upheld.
In processes of paying Lubogo, Muyanga started selling off his properties and reduced Shs153m to Shs51m however he failed to beat the deadline and was arrested. Later he was released when a campaign ‘Save Muyanga Lutaaya’ was lunched. Wellwishers contributed Shs37m thus securing his freedom.
7. Florence Kintu
She was Kalungu district MP (2011-2016) but during her tenure, she toiled with debts which made her lose some of her properties in Mukono after failing to pay a loan Shs300m that she had borrowed during campaigns.
In 2013 she arrested for allegedly issuing false cheques amounting to sh9.9m to Nibya Company, a firm that was demanding her.
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