Two Bukedea district legislators in Teso sub region have fought over the Local Council (LC) campaign money.
Annet Anita Among, Bukedea Woman MP and John Bosco Ikojo, Bukedea County MP are in a spilt fall out after the former picked LC mobilization cash on behalf of the latter but refused to declare it.
NRM MPs have since last week been receiving Shs3m each from the NRM party Headquarters and the office of the NRM Vice chairperson of the caucus for mobilization and campaigning for the party flagbearers in the ongoing LC elections that climaxes on July 10 with the voting of LC1 and LCII chairpersons. Out of Shs3m, Shs1m is meant for the constituency MP while Shs2m is to be divided by each village NRM flagbearers.
Hell broke loose when Anita Among reportedly approached Solomon Silwanyi, NRM caucus Vice chairperson and told him to give her all the money for the other MPs in Bukedea on grounds that the area MPs had given her the authority to pick it on their behalf. However, Anita did not reportedly hand over the MPs to one of the aggrieved MPs, Ikojo who could not hide his agony and immediately posted on an NRM WhatsApp group saying, “The NRM as a party that I subscribe to and the population should know that I have not received the huge sums of money given to NRM MPs to mobilize for the Local Council elections.”
He also shared an audio relaying his telephone chat with Silwanyi and in the chat, Ikojo is heard asking Silwanyi why he has been removed from the LC mobilization and even denied the money.
“Hon Silwanyi, you are my vice chairperson of the caucus, why is it that the party is removing me from the mobilization?”…I have not seen any money and yet am moving down the ground to mobilize for LC election,” Ikojo said.
Silwanyi expressed surprise saying that Ikojo’s money was given to Anita Among upon the latter’s request.
“Hon Anita Among came to me and told me that she is receiving money on behalf of Isiagi[Patrick] and Ikojo and that you people were in agreement. And she took the money for two MPs. But if that is the matter then I am going to call her.
Ikojo added that it’s unfortunate that Anita has his number but did not bother calling him to inform him about the money.
This comes after NRM ‘rebel’ MPs who voted against the controversial age limit Bill were also reportedly denied this LC campaign cash.