Kenneth Jogo sheds tears as voters fund campaign

Rubanda, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kenneth Jogo Biryabarema, a contestant in the National Resistance Movement (NRM) primaries for Rubanda East County parliamentary seat, broke down in tears during his campaign launch at Rwere Primary School playground in Bubaare Sub-county, Rubanda District, after voters surprised him with unexpected financial support.

The emotional moment unfolded on Tuesday when voters at the campaign event handed Jogo, the pioneer LC5 Chairperson of Rubanda District, part of the money they claimed to have received from his political rival, incumbent MP and State Minister for Finance (General Duties), Henry Ariganyira Musasizi.

According to the voters, Musasizi allegedly gave each of them Shs100,000 to discourage support for Jogo. But in an act of defiance, the group—led by Evelyn Twinobusigye from Nyamiyaga Parish—chose to split the money, giving half to Jogo to support his campaign. Twinobusigye accused Musasizi of disrespecting voters and dismissing Jogo’s capacity to lead, reportedly branding Jogo’s supporters as “idlers” and Jogo himself as a financially weak candidate. She said their gesture was a message of defiance: “even the poor can lead Uganda.”

Overcome with emotion, Jogo wept openly, thanking the voters for what he described as a “sign of hope” and belief in genuine servant leadership. He pledged to advocate for equitable service delivery—especially in education, health, and infrastructure—and criticized the current administration for what he called selective development.

Efforts to get a comment from Musasizi were unsuccessful as he did not respond to repeated phone calls. Jogo, who previously contested as an independent in the 2021 general election, lost to Musasizi in a race that was marred by chaos. With this year’s NRM primaries approaching, Jogo is again positioning himself as a reformist challenger backed by grassroots support.

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