NRM chairpersons in Agogo decry extortion during bicycle distribution

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | National Resistance Movement-NRM village chairpersons in Patongo sub county, Agago district have accused the party officials of extortion during the bicycle distribution exercise.

The bicycles are supposed to help all village and parish party chairpersons to mobilize support for the party in the forthcoming general elections. The village chairpersons say they were initially told that the bicycle distribution would be free of charge but to their dismay, while receiving the bicycles on Sunday, each beneficiary was subjected to pay 10,000 Shillings as transport cost for delivery of the bicycles and those who didn’t have the money missed out.

Benson Ocan, a party member of Okwangole parish says no clear explanation was communicated to them over the 10,000 shillings payment and further consultations with their colleagues in other sub counties indicates that they were not paying money.

According to Ocan, each of the beneficiaries in the 46 villages and four parishes of Patongo sub county had to make the payments to the sub county party officials, implying that 500,000 shillings was extorted from them.

The chairpersons have vowed not to mobilize support for the NRM party but instead rally support for the opposition and independent candidates.

The Patongo NRM sub county chairperson Michael Komakech refutes the extortion claims saying it was agreed that each party chairperson would contribute 10,000 Shillings for transportation of the bicycles from the district headquarters to the sub-county.

Richard Okene, one of the recipients says that they should have been consulted. He also says that the distance from the district party headquarters to Patongo is less than five kilometres that are not worth 10,000 Shillings.

Joseph Ocen Awal, the Agago district NRM party chairperson says his office has not received any such complaints, upon receipt of the bicycles at the party headquarters, they notified each village chairperson to come and receive their bicycles.

Awal decried the allegations saying that the party and its constitution doesn’t condone fraudulent tendencies and the bicycle distribution guidelines don’t indicate any payment before receipt of the bicycles. He however pledged that his office would investigate the claims before appropriate action is made.

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