Corruption by NRM Flag Bearers Created Room for Bobi Wine to Win in Serere District

Serere District, in the wider Teso region, turned out to be one of the areas where the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, performed strongly, winning about 13,000 votes, although President Museveni defeated him by a small margin.

The strong showing by the NUP candidate shocked many, but this publication has established reasons why NUP secured such support in Serere.

First, the people of Serere were disappointed with their corrupt NRM flag bearers.

It should be noted that money allocated by the party for NRM grassroots mobilisation never reached the intended party structures assigned to carry out mobilisation for the party and the President.

Instead, the flag bearers allegedly pocketed the money and used it for their own campaigns, where they reportedly gave voters Shs 2,000.

To make matters worse, some flag bearers were not actively campaigning for the NRM presidential candidate, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. It was independent parliamentary candidates who stepped in to campaign for the NRM presidential candidate. Had they also failed to do so, the results for the NRM would have been more embarrassing.

According to a survey by this publication, after the flag bearers diverted party funds meant for grassroots campaigns to facilitate their own campaigns, voters in Serere became disillusioned and massively voted for the NUP against the NRM presidential candidate.

Betreace Agoe from Odungura said NRM flag bearers betrayed the party’s presidential candidate by diverting money meant for grassroots mobilisation.

“Our leaders are the most corrupt. Imagine, they did not deliver mobilisation money to the party structures at the grassroots. Instead, they were using the money for their own campaigns,” she said.

Moses Opolot, another voter, claimed that one of the candidates used part of the money to clear a loan he had borrowed from three savings groups for primary campaigns.

According to Opolot, some of the candidates who were declared winners fought for their parliamentary seats but not through the will of the people.

“We are waiting for them in 2031. They will cry tears. Next time will not be the same as 2026,” he said.