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Independent Candidates in Uganda Face Potential retaliation Post-Primaries Amidst Shifting Political Landscape
Campaign materials for independent candidate muhammad Lusswa Luwemba were displayed outside his office. Luwemba, who previously aligned with the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), has reported instances of harassment from NUP supporters during his recent independent campaign. This situation raises concerns about potential political retribution, particularly in light of new restrictions imposed by the ruling party on independent candidates.
Post-Primary Concerns for Independents
Muhammad Lusswa Luwemba, who also serves as the president of the Independent Minds Association, an association representing independent candidates, has expressed apprehension about the period following party primaries. He stated that Uganda’s major political parties have a history of penalizing members who choose to run as independents. luwemba claims to have personally experienced this, as have other members of his association.
In March of this year, Luwemba participated in the Kawempe North byelections as an independent. He alleges that his campaign was disrupted and that his supporters faced harassment and physical assault from supporters of his former party, the NUP.luwemba believes that individuals who deviate from the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party’s directives are likely to encounter similar retaliatory actions.
These concerns emerge at a time when the United States Agency for International Advancement (USAID), which had provided support for voter education and election monitoring initiatives in Uganda, has ceased its funding.
Francis Opio, the head of governance and policy advocacy at the Kabarole Research and Resource Centre, a local non-governmental organization that conducted election monitoring until USAID’s funding ended, noted that the reduction in external oversight increases the risks. Opio suggested that the new regulations could make independent candidates and their supporters vulnerable to attacks, stating, “There’s no tolerance. [It] will create issues.”
For the ruling party’s strategy to be effective,candidates must affirm that they genuinely lost their primary contests,according to Rachel Frances Adyango,an NRM member and a two-time candidate for the woman member of parliament position for Soroti city. She indicated, “If I confirm that voters didn’t vote me and I didn’t win, I will step down.” However, she also pointed out that if evidence of rigged primaries emerges, it would be challenging for party members to adhere to such requirements.
Barata, the NRM’s director of legal affairs, expressed confidence in the upcoming electoral process, stating, “We are confident that we shall have a much fairer election this time around.”
