Kigezi leaders argue government to regulate campaign spending

In a bid to promote better service delivery and reduce corruption, opinion leaders in Kigezi subregion are calling on the government to control the amount of money spent during election campaigns.

The call was made during a regional dialogue on elections and human rights organized by the Uganda Human Rights Commission at Volcano Hotel in Rubanda district on Thursday.

The executive director of Kick Corruption of Uganda, Byamugisha Robert Kakuru, highlighted the dangers of money in elections, stating that excessive spending by politicians could compromise service delivery.

“Government should come in to regulate this spending. Why pour in all that money? These people will think about getting their invested monies once they win,” Byamugisha emphasized.

Dr. Francis Runumi, a former LC 5 Chairman for Kabale district, attributed poverty to the reason why people are often “bought” during elections.

“Someone who has never touched a note of shs 10,000, can he reject if it’s given for free from a politician?” Dr. Runumi questioned.

Twembi Theopista, the Kigezi regional Uganda Human Rights Commission boss, condemned the commercialization of politics, stating, “We strongly condemn the commercialization of politics in our region. It’s disheartening to see politicians treating votes like commodities, buying their way to power instead of earning it through genuine service.”

The dialogue comes at a time when Uganda is gearing up for elections. Excessive spending by politicians not only skews the playing field in favor of the wealthy but also compromises the integrity of the electoral process.

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