Mbarara boda boda riders feud over election of leaders

MBARARA- A cross section of boda boda riders have disagreed with Mbarara City leadership on the election processes for the new leaders.

According to Majidu Luganda, the interim chairperson of Mbarara General Boda boda Association, they have taken almost two years without a boda-boda leadership.

Luganda says the former regime’s term of office expired in 2021 but the former chairperson Sadius Owokunda has allegedly refused to conduct fresh elections or hand over office to the interim leadership.

“Owokunda was elected in 2019 as our chairman and our constitution only stipulates for two years term of office and since 2021 no elections and he also refused to leave office,” he said.

Following the directive announced last month to gazette boda bodastages in Mbarara City, authorities called for the boda-boda elections which were supposed to be held last week but the process was interrupted by some riders who claimed there were irregularities in the nomination process on Thursday.

Luganda said some candidates alleged that the electoral commission and the city council officials were siding with the interim leadership to stop the former chairperson from contesting again, including disqualifying 15 candidates from standing for the different positions.

When asked about the matter, Richard Kigudu, the chairperson of the independent electoral body confirmed that the decision arose from a court case in Mbarara high court where Owukunda is accused of mobilising his colleagues to torch houses of traffic wardens in the city.

Owokunda claims the city council also refused his candidature on grounds of indiscipline, after refusing to hand over office to the interim boda boda leadership.

The angry boda-boda protesters decided to storm the resident city commissioner [RCC]’s office forcing Lt. Col. James Mwesigye to call for an emergency security meeting.

Mwesigye accused those in charge of the boda boda electoral process of usurping the powers of the association by disqualifying candidates interested in the election process.

He then ordered the suspension of the nomination process, calling for fresh nominations to put the city to order.

“What has been done today including disqualification of some candidates and declaring others before the time of voting is null and void,” Mwesigye said.

He further advised boda boda riders to elect someone who will promote their interests.

“If we are electing a leader, let us avoid taking sides. I will not tolerate leaders who will take bribes because there is no law allowing one to pay money to join the boda-boda business,” he said.

Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi and city town clerk Assy Abirebe agreed with the RCC Mwesigye’s decision to suspend the nomination process to restore peace in the city.

“What was earlier made has been suspended. So, as council, we have directed that the exercise be done afresh before December 23, 2022,” said Kakyebezi.

They also agreed to scrap the nomination fee for the candidates. The fees were set as; Shs 200,000 for the chairperson, Shs 100,000 for the vice chairperson, Shs 150,000 for division chairpersons, and Shs 50000 was set for different positions.

He added that after the election of boda boda leaders, plans of gazetting the city stages would immediately begin.

“We want by Christmas time to have order in the city and for us to succeed in this, we must have a credible boda-boda leadership which has the trust of the people,” said Abirebe

However, the interim boda-boda leadership led by Luganda, warned to sue the RCC for interfering with their elections.

“RCC has no powers over our elections, his duty bound is to provide security as we carry out our elections peacefully but not indulging in the election process and if they insist on fresh nominations, we shall take them to court,” says Luganda

The Mbarara boda-boda sector has over 70,000 motor riders’ across the 6 divisions of Biharwe, Kamukuzi, Kakoba, Nyamitanga, and Kakika who will all gather at Kakyeka stadium on  December 13, 2022, to elect their new leadership.

To compete for elective offices, candidates are required to be fully registered, spent one year in the boda boda business, be of a sound mind, be able to read and write, and with no criminal record among others.

https://thecooperator.news/mbarara-city-plans-to-register-boda-boda-riders-in-high-gear/

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