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The failed economic growth in Bugisu sub region has been attributed to the recent trend in politics where electorates fall for candidates who hold expensive monetized campaigns.
In Uganda, reports indicated that one needs between 800 million to 1 billion shillings to contest for a parliamentary position.
Matthias Nabutele a former Minister of Umukuka under Inzu Iya Masaba and a born of Manafa district says the trend has led to Stagnation especially in Bugisu sub region related to poor legislation and representation as most leaders especially members of parliament spend the years trying to recover from the death.
“And such leaders are not representatives of the people, cannot take their concerns, voters don’t hold him or her accountable because they were bought and will be waiting to receive handouts during burials and other events” Nabutele said.
Nabutele observes that leaders especially members of parliament start buying voters from the moments they start showing interest for the position until election time.
“Some positions like the LC V and MPs start spending on voters from the concluded election to the next one election and the incumbent MP keeps competing with the ghost MP to be and when one goes through has to recover financially for all the last five years he spent while not even in parliament” Nabutele said adding that the incumbent now fails to concentrate on legislation and keeps on marking who has died in the constituency to compete with the ‘to be’ who is always on ground and will all be giving money.
This style of politics according to Nabutele limits economic growth in the region as each member of parliament acts independently without collective efforts for the development of the region.
“Now because of commercialized politics, look at our caucus, they don’t have a particular development plan for the region because they are all people with different interests who were elected because of their money, they don’t have time to sit and discuss matters of Bugisu because they didn’t go to represent the region but to make money and when the president was here, what did our members of parliament demand from the president to benefit their voters” he said.
Nabutele advised that the members of parliament should now change the method of legislation if they are to realize rapid economic growth in the Bugisu sub region.
“our Members of Parliament should now work together and get back to their constituencies as a caucus, tour the whole of Bugisu and identify services and projects that suit each district or constituency and set each year for lobbying in parliament under collective effort than leaving matters for an individual who may not be good at representing people on the of parliament” He suggested.
He also says leaders should sensitize locals on the dangers of falling for handouts and instead direct the money to village savings groups and associations to better their livelihood.
Bugisu sub region has a total of seven districts including Bududa, Bulambuli, Manafwa, Mbale district, Namisindwa ,Sironko and Mbale city with over 25 members of parliament but the Bugisu Parliamentary caucus has not been effective through its chairperson hon Richard Wanda who has severally decried insensible members.
