Kigezi ANT candidates cash strapped

Kigezi , Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Several parliamentary candidates for the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) party in Kigezi Sub region are finding difficulties to raise their nomination fees. 

According to the Electoral Commission guidelines, the nomination fee for parliamentary aspirants is Shillings 3 million, district and city chairperson Shillings 200,000, municipal chairpersons Shillings 100,000, Sub-county, Division chairpersons, district and municipal councilors Shillings 50,000 and division and sub-county councilors Shillings 20,000.   

However, ANT candidates in Kigezi sub-region, say they are unable to raise the required fees. Some aspirants confessed during the ANT delegate’s conference at Herras Country Resort in Kabale district on Wednesday that they had failed to raise money to fund their candidature. 

Fred Ruhamya Kwiringira, the ANT parliamentary candidate for Bufumbira North County in Kisoro district says although most of the candidates have the zeal to represent the party, they don’t have money for nomination. He asks the party leadership to do whatever is possible to avail money to the candidates before the nomination next week.

Rev. Innocent Nshizirungu, the ANT parliamentary candidate for Bufumbira East constituency, says he hopes to receive money after October 15th several days after the nomination. 

According to Nshizirungu, he is likely to miss the nominations should the party fail to intervene. 

Baker Julius, the ANT candidate for Kyanamira sub-county LC3 Chairperson’s seat in Kabale district, says he struggled to raise nomination fees  but can’t even print campaign posters because of lack of funds. 

He says this has prompted his opponent to mock him and ask him to quit the race, saying he is very poor despite his leadership and advocacy skills. 

Samuel Atuheire Kyanda, the Ndorwa West county ANT parliamentary candidate, says he is worried on how to run his campaigns without money given the fact that he is challenging the incumbent and  Finance State Minister, David Bahati, who is known for dishing out huge sums of money to electorates.

According to Atuheire, even their local coordinators have repeatedly complained of trekking long distances to attend meetings without allowances for meals and transport.

Sliven Gumisiriza, the Rujumbura county ANT parliamentary candidate in Rukungiri district, says despite their financial hurdles, they shouldn’t lose focus from their mission of achieving the party mission. 

In his response, the ANT president, Gen. Gregory Mugisha Muntu, said they have already launched a fundraising drive to raise money to support their candidates. He revealed that they need at least Shillings 700 million to facilitate the candidates.  

During the meeting, delegates unanimously endorsed Muntu as their party presidential candidate for the 2021 general elections.

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