SHEEMA, Uganda — Former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye is facing severe allegations that he has paid voters and attempted to bribe Electoral Commission officials in a brazen effort to disqualify his main opponent and win the Sheema North parliamentary race unopposed.
Tumwesigye, who recently shifted his political base from Sheema Municipality, first allegedly attempted to buy off his challenger, Julius Muhanguzi Ndangire. The candidate confirmed that he refused money, estimated between 150 million and 200 million shillings, to withdraw from the contest.
Following that failure, the scheme reportedly escalated. Five registered voters who had signed Ndangire’s nomination forms have now confessed in sworn affidavits to taking sums of money ranging from 3 million to 10 million shillings each.
Compounding the crisis, this news organization has obtained secret recordings allegedly featuring Tumwesigye’s brother, Nicholas Kwarija. In the recordings, Kwarija reportedly boasts of having already paid Electoral Commission officials to ensure the commission rules favorably on the petition to disqualify Ndangire. Tumwesigye has reportedly lodged the petition with the Electoral Commission and intends to present the five voters who signed false affidavits tomorrow to deny their original signatures.
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Tensions are reportedly running high in Sheema North. Ndangire’s supporters are threatening to boycott the elections and demonstrate before President Museveni when he visits Sheema next month if their candidate is removed from the ballot.
Ndangire confirmed receiving threats and said his people have been intimidated since his nomination. He accused Tumwesigye of resorting to “underhand methods” to push him out, rather than campaigning legitimately for himself or for the president on the ground. This news organization also obtained videos allegedly showing individuals being forced to withdraw their signatures with financial enticements.
