Bunyoro residents warned against 'throwing away' votes over money

KIKUUBE - As Uganda inches toward the 2026 General Election, Bunyoro residents have been urged not sacrifice their democratic power for fleeting bribes of cash, salt, or alcohol. 

Public service state minister Grace Mary Mugasa issued this plea on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, during a National Resistance Movement (NRM) party stakeholder meeting in Kikuube district, condemning the dangerous trend of vote-selling that undermines national development.

Mugasa decried how candidates who buy votes inevitably prioritise recouping campaign costs over public service. 

"When you demand money to vote, the leader who wins will spend his term recovering what he invested, not delivering for you," she said. 

"The worst thing you can do to your country is selling your voting rights and buying yourself into power. Voting is your heart, your brain, your conscience. I beg you: Do not sell them for sh500, sh10,000, or a sachet of salt. These things cannot be bought. Vote for a leader, not money."

The minister stressed that informed choices, not financial inducements, must guide voters. 

"Always listen to what candidates promise," she urgekd, "Give your vote based on their ideas, not their wallets."

Her remarks came amid growing concern that such practices stifle regional progress, as leaders elected through bribes neglect long-term development for short-term political survival.

The gathering, convened by Brig. Gen. Omero Tingira Irumba (defence and security advisor to Sudan and NRM’s 2026 security mobilisation head for Kikuube), drew district leaders, MPs, technical staff, and security agencies to strategise support for President Museveni. Yet the event also highlighted vulnerabilities in Bunyoro’s electorate.

Buhaguzi MP Francis Kazin warned Bukinda evictees: Over 3,000 displaced residents living in IDP camps for five years amid land conflicts—to resist political manipulation.

One camp on MP Florence Natumanya’s land hosts 2,000 evictees from Bukinda Parish; another shelters 1,000 near Hoima Sugar Factory. Kazin cautioned:

"You cannot seek government help while fighting the government. Opposition politicians will exploit your plight for selfish interests. Know that leaders and the president are addressing your resettlement."

Irumba reinforced these appeals with a security pledge, vowing to protect voters from coercion:

"Security agencies will ensure no one harasses, intimidates, or prevents citizens from voting. We will not allow violence to disrupt this democratic process."