Africa-Press – Uganda. A former mayor is demanding Sh80 million which he claims was a presidential pledge for him to withdraw from a race for the same position in 2021.
“I demand Shs80 million which was promised to me by President Museveni as an incentive for me to pull out of the mayoral race in Masindi municipality in favor of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party candidate Ronald Kyomuhendo,” former Masindi Municipal Mayor Joshua Amanyire told Monitor.
Amanyire believes that the promised compensation is his due right, given the agreement reached with President Museveni to step down from the mayoral race in exchange for the financial reward.
The complainant claims he has raised the issue with local government officials, including the Masindi L.C five chairperson Cosmas Byaruhanga and the Masindi Municipal lawmaker Joab Businge.
Additionally, Amanyire claims that he has sent multiple letters to remind the president but no response or payment has been received as of July 3, 2023.
Asked to comment on the allegation, minister for presidency Milly Babalanda said her office has never received a written document regarding the pledge.
Instead, Babalanda has advised Amanyire to inform Museveni about his pledge.
“Let him (Amanyire) write to the president reminding him over his pledges,” the minister told this publication.
For Masindi municipality voter Edward Wabyona, “politics is a personal choice and individuals such as Amanyire should face the consequences of their own decisions.”
Wabyona adds that financial rewards for stepping down from a political race undermine the integrity of the electoral process and weaken the accountability of public figures.
“Offering financial incentives to politicians to exit electoral contests could erode public trust and undermine the principles of fair competition,” Wabyona noted in a July 3 interview .
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