Joshua Nahamya
Mbarara
Tension has intensified in Mbarara as boda-boda riders suspend their work and block the Mbarara city council road seeking an explanation over irregularities cited in their forthcoming elections.
According to Richard Kigundu, the Chairperson electoral commission all motor riders in Mbarara were supposed to elect the new leadership to run the Mbarara General Boda-bodas association
But due to the errors observed in the nomination process, the security committee headed by resident city commissioner (RCC) Lt Col James Mwesigye suspended the elections slated for 13th December 2022.
However, Kigundu with some other sections of boda-bodas went on a local radio talk show and pronounced that the elections will take place on the earlier gazette date as shown above.
He insisted that the city council and the RCC has no powers over boda-boda elections in Mbarara
This annoyed another camp of boda-bodas who sideline with Sadius Owokunda the former boda-boda chairman and threatened to attack the city council for failing to resolve the matter at hand.
This forced police heavy deployment at the city council headquarters preventing the rioting boda-boda riders from attacking some of the city leaders alleged of interfering with their elections
Police together with the city leadership headed by Robert Kanusu who is the RCC Mbarara city north engaged in an emergency meeting to calm down the situation.
After the meeting, the RCC announced that tomorrow’s elections have been suspended until further notice to create peace and harmony within the city boundaries.
“Following an emergency meeting with many issues raised in the process of the election of the boda-boda association leaders in Mbarara city, we have decided to suspend the elections until further notice to enable the organisers iron out a few of the complaints raised by some candidates and the boda-boda membership”
Radius accused the office of the deputy city clerk headed by Richard Mugisha claiming that it is the one fueling all the chaos within the boda-boda elections.
He also asked the RCC to write to the so-called electoral commission chairman and his colleagues to stop them from conducting any illegal elections on Tuesday.
“I don’t have trust in the office of the deputy city clerk because he has personal interests in this they have been writing officially to Kigundu to stop all the plans of the elections but he insisted on doing the same so I am requesting you personally to invite Kigundu and Majidu here and you give them their letters officially so that we can cease” Radius explained
“Today we want to know between the electoral commission and the city council who is right on issues related to our forthcoming elections” Elly Nebye another boda-boda rider at the Ntare stage asked
The RCC warned the boda-boda independent electoral commission body to stop all activities related to the postponed elections slated on Tuesday at Kakyeka stadium in Mbarara.
“We have warned the electoral body for boda-boda association to postpone the exercise for tomorrow until the city council resolves on many of the issues that had been raised by the aggrieved candidates”.
I have also asked Mr. Kigundu publically if he continues with impunity to run adverts and act contrary to the resolution made by the joint meeting, we shall carry out a preventive arrest on him because this will bring insecurity in the area, says Kanusu
“Mr. Kigundu is not above the law and if he insists, we shall ask him to withdraw his position and another one takes over for the peaceful elections within the boda-boda industry because this is still a new city that is growing which should not be associated with chaos to attracts negative coverage”
He was also advised to withdraw all the advertisements he was making about the forthcoming elections scheduled on Tuesday.
Kanusu feels that the council can guide better when the elections are suspended. “So as the office of the RCC, our position is still clear let their no be elections until all the issues raised are rectified to bring harmony in the boda-boda industry”
“We have given them that privilege as members of their association to do the right thing as we guide them but we can’t take any decision on behalf of their elections, for us we only come in when we sense that security is compromised”. He said
He also warned all the city management not to pick interest in the boda-boda elections. “We call on all the parties if there is any officer in government or council who has personal interests in the whole exercise to withdraw from it and leave natural justice to take precedent for the public affairs to be handled transparently,” says Kanusu
And by press time, police were still deployed at the city council and further meetings were still underway to prevent boda-bodas from causing any damage in the area.
