Radio Presenter Accused of Staging a Road Accident to Win Budiope MP By-Election

A man, campaigning to become the next Member of Parliament for Budiope County in Kamuli District, has been involved in an accident at the same spot where the former area MP, Henry Balikoowa, was killed.



John Nsega was traveling home on Monday evening when the taxi he was in crashed in Mabira Forest. Nsega sustained serious injuries and is admitted at Jinja Referral Hospital.



In an interview from his hospital bed today, Nsega said he would make road safety a major part of his parliamentary campaign. He lamented that the roads in Uganda have become a deathtrap for many and yet little has been done to make them safer for all motorists.



There are rumors in Kamuli that the accident was stage managed to coerce people into supporting Nsega. He laughed when asked about this claim, calling it ridiculous. He said he was glad he is alive.



Nsega, a news anchor at NBS radio in Jinja, is one of eight people competing to replace Balikoowa in Parliament. Others are Godfrey Erikwaine, John Bosco Mubiito, Suleiman Kirunda, Mustapha Kalwaza, Robert Ziribasanga, Dominic Wakabi and Moses Bigirwa.



Six of the contestants are members of the National Resistance Movement. Dominic Wakabi is standing on behalf of the Forum for Democratic Change and Moses Bigirwa is from the Democratic Party.



Nominations for the Budiope parliamentary by-elections will be held on January 6th and 7th. Elections are set for January 25th.