Disabled persons protest fake impotent men vying for office
Apr 15, 2011
PEOPLE With Disability (PWDs) have expressed concern over politicians, who are impersonating disabled persons to contest for elective offices in the coming local council elections.
By John Semakula
PEOPLE With Disability (PWDs) have expressed concern over politicians, who are impersonating disabled persons to contest for elective offices in the coming local council elections.
The chairperson of the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda, Francis Kinubi, said on Thursday that politicians who were defeated in the recent local council elections are impersonating disabled persons to contest for their offices.
Local Council elections for the PWDs for the sub-county, municipality, division and district councillors will take place from April 28 to May 2. The Commission is yet to display the voter registers PWDs.
Kinubi said some of the impersonators present scars on their bodies as signs that they are disabled, while others claim they are impotent and, therefore, disabled.
He said in Mbarara Municipality one of the political parties fronted an impersonator, but was disqualified immediately she was found out.
“It’s unfortunate that people are impersonating disabled persons to contest in our elections,†Kinubi added.
According to the Disability Act, a person qualifies to become disabled if he has a substantial functional restriction, physically or sensory in relation to the environment.
The restrictions must be permanent and should render the disabled person unable to perform daily duties.
Stuart Tamale an Electoral Commission official in charge of the disabled said that an impotent person can only contest in an election for the PWDs if he proves with medical forms from a qualified doctor that he has a permanent damage on his manhood.
PEOPLE With Disability (PWDs) have expressed concern over politicians, who are impersonating disabled persons to contest for elective offices in the coming local council elections.
The chairperson of the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda, Francis Kinubi, said on Thursday that politicians who were defeated in the recent local council elections are impersonating disabled persons to contest for their offices.
Local Council elections for the PWDs for the sub-county, municipality, division and district councillors will take place from April 28 to May 2. The Commission is yet to display the voter registers PWDs.
Kinubi said some of the impersonators present scars on their bodies as signs that they are disabled, while others claim they are impotent and, therefore, disabled.
He said in Mbarara Municipality one of the political parties fronted an impersonator, but was disqualified immediately she was found out.
“It’s unfortunate that people are impersonating disabled persons to contest in our elections,†Kinubi added.
According to the Disability Act, a person qualifies to become disabled if he has a substantial functional restriction, physically or sensory in relation to the environment.
The restrictions must be permanent and should render the disabled person unable to perform daily duties.
Stuart Tamale an Electoral Commission official in charge of the disabled said that an impotent person can only contest in an election for the PWDs if he proves with medical forms from a qualified doctor that he has a permanent damage on his manhood.