Service Delivery Delayed Is Service Delivery Denied.

“SERVICE DELIVERY DELAYED IS SERVICE DELIVERY DENIED”
BY ECUNGU GEORGE WILLIAM
UGANDA- Uganda conducts general elections after every five years. Eversince the take over of
government by the NRM government in January 26th, 1986, uganda had held general elections sixth
times. With the latest General Elections conducted in January 14th 2021. Interestingly, power is in the
hands of president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa up todate.
In brief, the current parliament is the 12th parliament eversince uganda attained her independence. For
over 35 years that the NRM government has spent as the rulling government, a lot of things which are
both good and bad have occured. To start with, president Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Tibuhaburwa has
managed to maintain himself the president of Uganda for all that time. We acknowledge the
government of NRM for establishing administrative structure in uganda. The current system of ugandas
administration is more organized compared to the previous governments. Uganda today has functional
executive, legislative and judiciary organs. The country has got some independent commissions such as
the uganda electoral commission. The uganda Electoral commission is a commission in uganda which is
responsible for organizing and preparing for general elections.
The electoral commission of uganda in the past two general electons, ie of 2016 and the recent one of
2021 has faced a lot of challenges. Among the challenges is re organizing for bye electons. Conducting
bye electons is not a crime. The uganda National constitution recommends it. The law vests the power
to reorganize for bye electons to the electoral commission. According to the law, the electoral
commission shall reorganize for bye electons incase a politically elected leader dies, a politically elected
leader decides to resign before his regime comes to an end, a politically elected leader is cought and
charged for misconduct that may degrade his office and if the election of a political leader is challenged
and court issues an order to nullify it.
It is clear that most of the bye elections organized by the uganda electoral commission today are as a
result of majorly two factors. The first one is death. In 2016-2021, uganda lost quite a number of
leaders. For example, the late Hon. Charles Oromait, the male mp for usuk county in katakwi district
died because of a nasty road accident, the late Hon Ibrahim Abiriga of Aria Municipality was
assassinated a mong others. Recently uganda lost the speaker of the parliament of the republic of
uganda, the late Hon Jacob Oulanya Lokori who was also an mp of omoro county. The electoral
commission re organized fresh bye elections in all constituencies whose representatives passed on on.
When bye elections are declared as a result of death of a political leader in an area, it has become
common for people to front either a family member to the late or a relative. This is not bad but people
need to consider certain factors. For example, is the family member or relative willing to serve people or
he or she is accepting to contest purposely to retain financial status of the family? Secondly, is the family
member or relative capable of representing the common man?. In most cases, people give sympathy
votes to the a family member or relative who contests to succeed the deceased one. Giving sympathy
votes is poisonous to the entire country. State matters should not beinimised to family levels. Yes, you
will sympathize to vote for a family member during bye elections simply because you want to show love
to the family of the deceased political leader, but you also need to put in your mind that much as
electorates are to show love to their leaders, political leaders too are to show love to the electorates.
Everyone one who goes to parliament because of sympathy votes is not a genuine leader. He or she is
likely to serve the interest of the family and relatives while ignoring the affairs of the constituency. In
most cases, the constituency will remain like none is representing people. I am not ashamed to say that
most of this political leaders put their mind to ensure that the build their homes, buy assets for their
families, while saying that after all he or she will not contest again. Take time and analyze some of the
constituencies where bye elections were conducted, you will find that those constituencies who gave
votes of sympathy faced a lot of challenges,they even regretted.
Secondly, the electoral commission of uganda has also reorganized bye elections as a result of court
nullifying election results. It has happened several times. As we speak, on 28/07/2022, fresh bye
elections are to be held in Soroti city East. Soroti city is one of the newly created city in Eastern
Uganda.The same incident is happening in Gogonyo County in palisa district. Gogonyo County is also a
newly created county in Eastern Uganda. Looking at 2021 general elections, many candidates run to
court seeking for justice. Among politicians who went to court was Robert kyagulanyi, a presidential
aspirant of national unity platform, he later on withdrew his case against president Yoweri Kaguta
Museveni Tibuhaburwa and electoral commission, in Ngora county, Hon David Abala, an independent
candidate was declared a dully elected mp for Ngora county 2021-2026, however, Hon Abalas Victory
was challenged by NRM Juliet Acayo Lodou,and at last David Abala lost the seat.
What shocked the country was that one of the lc3 aspirant of wera town council went to court to
challenge the election of his counterpart. Many victorious political leaders of 2021 general elections
were dragged to court by their opponents who lost.Going to court is not bad because it’s a legal
right.The challenge here is that you will delay service delivery. You also need to put in your mind that
service delivery delayed is service delivery denied. Some opponents run to court because of jealousy.
For example, the time soroti city is now spending in bye elections would be spent for development.
After elections, the one who will win shall instead of serving people resort to financial recovery and
preparations for the next term.
Politicians, our project of politics before you join needs you to accept that you are either going to win or
to be defeated. We need to be flexible in case of anything. Don’t come to the field of politics with a rigid
mind that winning is a must.No,this is out. Politics is like betting.Secondly, once you are declared a loser,
accept it. The winner was elected by people. Some politicians weigh financial status, they undermine the
victorious one and the loser resorts to use money,pours money every where. At the first point when you
do this, you are a thief. You are stealing someone’s victory broad day light. Addition to that, you are
forcing yourself to an office which is not yours. Accept the defeat and correct your mistakes, people will
not refuse to vote for you in the next coming elections. Lack of transparency jeopardizes service
delivery.(The writer is a senior political activist and a columnist writer in Teso sub region.He is a great
political analyst uganda has ever heard)

Service Delivery Delayed Is Service Delivery Denied.

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Service Delivery Delayed Is Service Delivery Denied.

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Service Delivery Delayed Is Service Delivery Denied.

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

“SERVICE DELIVERY DELAYED IS SERVICE DELIVERY DENIED”

BY ECUNGU GEORGE WILLIAM

You might also like