Clement Watyekele, the Namaitsu parish NRM Chairperson in Bududa Sub County, says that he gathered 30 NRM village chairpersons to collect their bicycles only to realize that district officials want money.
He said they requested 20000 something that he did not agree with but when they refused to pay the money, officials chased them away saying only that money are the ones to get motorcycles.
Bududa
district National Resistance Movement-NRM party officials are on the spot for
alleged extortion in the ongoing yellow bicycle distribution exercise to
village and parish NRM chairpersons.
Bududa
district received 1600 bicycles for free distribution to the village and parish NRM
chairpersons to mobilise for their party candidate ahead of 2021 general
elections.
The district comprises 1441 villages and 159 parishes.
However,
some of the beneficiaries of the bicycles say they were asked to pay some money
only to realize later that the bicycle are meant to be for free.
Clement
Watyekele, the Namaitsu parish NRM Chairperson in Bududa Sub County, says that
he gathered 30 NRM village chairpersons to collect their bicycles only to realize
that district officials want money.
He says the
officials asked each beneficiary to pay Shillings 20,000 something he out
rightly rejected prompting the officials to chase them away, saying only those
who pay will receive the bicycles.
Lumasaba Audio
//Cue in: “Nola khu district…
Cue out: … gavumenti ikhuyete”//.
David Bukuwa,
the Nashitokholo NRM village chairperson, says although the bicycles were meant
for chairpersons, many beneficiaries are not.
Derrick Lukoye says that he was
made to pay Shillings 20,000 to receive his bicycle, adding that those who didn’t
have money didn’t receive the bikes.
//Cue
in: “Bakhulanga bari.......
Cue
out: …ateefe bakhukulisa”//.
Clement
Makhoso, the Bududa Sub county LC V councilor has confirmed receiving
complaints from chairperson concerning the bicycle distribution exercise.
He
says that over 50 beneficiaries in his sub-county alone missed out on the bicycles.
According to Makhoso, they have already
complained to the RDC over the matter.
//Cue in: “Shakhuyangisa naabi…
Cue out: … baenzele president khalulu,”//
Yonasan
Bululu, the Bududa District LC V Vice-chairperson has promised to follow up the
matter with the Resident District Commissioner and NRM secretariat to establish
the truth.
//Cue
in: “khuwofice yese…
Cue out: …khunyola khuri khwachiteresile,”//
The Bududa
District NRM Chairperson, Stephen Wakyaya, says the extortion only happened in Bududa
Sub County but not in the entire district.
He said they cautioned the Bududa Sub-county NRM chairperson, Ibrahim Wabuyobo who denied the complaints of
extortion.
Wabuyobo has
not yet commented on the allegations and his known cellphone number was
switched off by the time of filing this story.
Andrew Nakhaboya
Freelancer