{UAH} Allan/Pojim/WBK: Calling all candidates, where’s that lovely campaign cash gone then? - Comment

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/-/434750/3003134/-/rg8m9k/-/index.html

Calling all candidates, where's that lovely campaign cash gone then?

Uganda seems to be set for its financially driest election in living memory. Ever since the so-called monetisation of elections started in 1996 (the first under the 1995 constitution), the country has been flooded with money for half a year every five years during the campaign and election rituals. Until this year.

Ugandans are currently decrying the shortage of money in what ironically had been expected to be the most cash-drenched poll ever. The three main presidential candidates have greatly disappointed thirsty campaign agents who had counted on half a year of fishing in a river of money.

The entry of former prime minister Amama Mbabazi had fuelled great expectations. Mbabazi has long been rumoured to be extremely loaded. The rumour mill was filled with stories billions that were expected to flood the campaign trail with tributaries from China, Israel, USA and Dubai. It was then expected that the incumbent Museveni too would open his floodgates to outspend Mbabazi.

Instead, Mbabazi has turned out to be the most tight-fisted presidential candidate in Uganda's history. Yet the stories of his bulging moneybags were so convincing that even Cabinet ministers who should have known better fell for them. A whole shoal of MPs who lost the primaries of the ruling party — 60 of them — were planning to defect to Mbabazi's camp but it is said the man only offered them Ush800,000 ($230) each, so the mass defection did not take place.

And it seems Museveni has refused to enter or initiate the spending competition. Even at the high level of parliamentary contestants, Museveni has refrained from buying back the primaries losers, like paying them not to run as independents against NRM candidates.

Instead he has philosophically told voters that they are all his children. Instead of spending their money as independent candidates in a poll they are likely to lose, many NRM primaries losers are declaring non-participation and reaffirming their undying support for Museveni.

Rumours that a recently retired Lieutenant General was given sacks of money to mobilise for "Mzee" are unconvincing as the man has only been "demobilising" Mbabazi supporters with tricks like taking them to meet the president to divert them from the ex-PM's rallies. No sacks of cash, not even envelopes.

The third big candidate, the indefatigable Kizza Besigye, has turned the campaign cash tradition on its head. This season, Besigye goes to campaign rallies and collects money from the voters instead of giving it out.

At rallies or "greet the people" stops along the route to his main rallies, Besigye stands out of the open roof of his car and peasants start giving him their little amounts of cash to keep his campaign afloat. It is said there is a strongbox inside the car to which only Besigye has the key and into which he drops the collections.

There are five other candidates, whose names you wouldn't recognise. One of them is in London. The four are perpetually complaining of being broke so voters cannot start asking them for "facilitation."

Compare this with previous elections, when campaign agents used to bargain with candidates by inflating the offers made by rival camps… If things continue this way, the February 18 poll may even produce a Magufuli for Uganda!

Joachim Buwembo is a Knight International Fellow for development journalism. E-mail: buwembo@gmail.com

Calling all candidates, where's that lovely campaign cash gone then? - Comment

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/OpEd/comment/-/434750/3003134/-/rg8m9k/-/index.html

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