Bukenya pinned on bribing voters
Jul 26, 2011
THREE witnesses told court yesterday that the former Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, bribed them on separate occasions in the run-up to the February 18 general elections.
By Pascal Kwesiga
THREE witnesses told court yesterday that the former Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, bribed them on separate occasions in the run-up to the February 18 general elections.
However, they said they could not report Bukenya to the relevant authorities because they did not know if dishing out money to them was a crime.
Mary Kiyaga, 58, told the court presided over by Justice Vincent Kibuuka-Musoke that Bukenya did not commit any crime by giving them money since he was both a vice-president and a candidate.
“He (Bukenya) did not do anything wrong by giving us money since he was also a vice-president,†Kiyaga, a resident of Ngondwe village in Namayumba sub-county, said.
Kiyaga was being cross-examined by the Electoral Commission (EC) lawyers, Enos Tumusiime and MacDusman Kabega and Bukenya’s lawyer Ben Wacha.
When Kiyaga was asked why they did not report Bukenya to the nearest Police, Kiyaga said: “Even the Police feared him. He gave us the money in front of them.â€
Kiyaga said she got sh500 from the sh20,000 that Bukenya allegedly gave the youth and another sh1,000 from the sh150,000 that the Busiro North legislator allegedly offered to a women’s group in Ngondwe village in Namayumba sub-county.
Aloysius Kafeero, 54, told court that he defected to Bukenya’s camp only hours before voting began after he was allegedly bribed with sh5,000 by the agents of the Busiro North MP.
He threw court into laughter when he stated that he abandoned his candidate, Hussein Kasta Bukenya, who is challenging the victory of the former Vice-President on the eve of the polling day because he was broke.
“I voted for Gilbert Bukenya instead of Kasta because I became broke towards the polling day. His (Bukenya) agents preached to me and I converted,†he said.
A secondary school teacher, Mohamed Kiwuwa, said Bukenya bribed residents of Kyanuuna village in Namayumba sub-county when he turned up at Kyanuuna playground during campaigns.
After handing over the money, Kiwuwa said Bukenya asked the residents to vote for him and all NRM flag-bearers.
He said the residents considered reporting Bukenya to the Police for bribing them but lacked transport to Wakiso Police Station.
THREE witnesses told court yesterday that the former Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, bribed them on separate occasions in the run-up to the February 18 general elections.
However, they said they could not report Bukenya to the relevant authorities because they did not know if dishing out money to them was a crime.
Mary Kiyaga, 58, told the court presided over by Justice Vincent Kibuuka-Musoke that Bukenya did not commit any crime by giving them money since he was both a vice-president and a candidate.
“He (Bukenya) did not do anything wrong by giving us money since he was also a vice-president,†Kiyaga, a resident of Ngondwe village in Namayumba sub-county, said.
Kiyaga was being cross-examined by the Electoral Commission (EC) lawyers, Enos Tumusiime and MacDusman Kabega and Bukenya’s lawyer Ben Wacha.
When Kiyaga was asked why they did not report Bukenya to the nearest Police, Kiyaga said: “Even the Police feared him. He gave us the money in front of them.â€
Kiyaga said she got sh500 from the sh20,000 that Bukenya allegedly gave the youth and another sh1,000 from the sh150,000 that the Busiro North legislator allegedly offered to a women’s group in Ngondwe village in Namayumba sub-county.
Aloysius Kafeero, 54, told court that he defected to Bukenya’s camp only hours before voting began after he was allegedly bribed with sh5,000 by the agents of the Busiro North MP.
He threw court into laughter when he stated that he abandoned his candidate, Hussein Kasta Bukenya, who is challenging the victory of the former Vice-President on the eve of the polling day because he was broke.
“I voted for Gilbert Bukenya instead of Kasta because I became broke towards the polling day. His (Bukenya) agents preached to me and I converted,†he said.
A secondary school teacher, Mohamed Kiwuwa, said Bukenya bribed residents of Kyanuuna village in Namayumba sub-county when he turned up at Kyanuuna playground during campaigns.
After handing over the money, Kiwuwa said Bukenya asked the residents to vote for him and all NRM flag-bearers.
He said the residents considered reporting Bukenya to the Police for bribing them but lacked transport to Wakiso Police Station.