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Following last week’s exposure of a clandestine NRM group working closely with the ISO to rig elections, The Weekly Observer has now learnt that senior Election Commission officials are deeply involved in this scheme.
We reported in our last issue that some elements in the National Resistance Movement, under the so-called ‘Working Group Four,’ work with officers in the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) to rig elections for the ruling party.
Now, our information is that the Electoral Commission itself has discussed this matter, with some staff bitterly complaining against one David Musiime, head of its Field Operations.
Musiime, a former employee minister Sam Kutesa’s Entebbe Handling Services (ENHAS), is said to be ISO’s focal point at the Commission. His alleged interference has generated friction between him and other EC staff, resulting in the kind of complaints that some returning officers made against him in that meeting. Musiime’s main assignment is reportedly to shuffle presiding officers on the eve of elections in a way that helps the NRM win elections, according to EC and ISO sources.
However, the Electoral Commission Secretary, Sam Rwakojo, denies these reports, saying it’s because Ugandan politicians have not yet learnt to lose elections honourably.
By virtue of his office, created after his recruitment two years ago, Musiime normally travels wherever an election is being held.
When ISO and NRM identify presiding officers they are uncomfortable with, Musiime is asked to either dismiss or have them transferred.
If the NRM has a list of presiding officers it wants recruited, it is again Musiime they turn to. Presiding Officers are the top-most Electoral Commission officials at any polling station. They are usually recruited on a part-time basis. Bukholi North Well-informed sources have told us that on the eve of the Bukholi North by-election in March 2008, Musiime joined the EC desk officer for this sub-region, Jeninah Sabiiti, and Commissioner Joseph Biribonwa in the constituency.
A desk officer is usually the supervisor of the EC district registrar in a particular sub-region. The EC divided the country into seven sub-regions and each commissioner oversees one. The three EC officials; Musiime, Biribonwa and Sabiiti reportedly held a meeting in Bugiri with NRM politicians, including Deputy Secretary General, Dorothy Hyuha.
This meeting discussed strategies of winning the Bukholi North by-election, including changing some of the presiding officers that had been recruited by the Commission’s Bugiri Registrar, one Patrick Musimbi. After the EC-NRM meeting, Musiime drew a new list of presiding officers. He then went to the registrar’s office and ordered the secretary to type this new list.
When the registrar who was away returned, he was handed the new list of presiding officers. Musimbi is said to have left his office in anger, almost jeopardising the election itself, but he was persuaded by his supervisor, Jeninah Sabiiti, to press on with the preparations.
According to our source, because of his failure to “co-operate”, the NRM machinery has now branded this Bugiri registrar a UPC sympathiser, and Musimbi might be fired as a result.
When the by-election was eventually held, the NRM candidate, Bakka Mugabi, won the seat, defeating UPC Treasurer, Patrick Mwondha, and JEEMA’s Asuman Basalirwa. Bukomansimbi Musiime, who himself lost the NRM primary for Entebbe Municipality in 2005 to Dr. David Matovu, was as expected active in Bukomansimbi on the eve of the by-election in April. Iddi Lubyayi’s election had been nullified on grounds of electoral malpractices. He went ahead and won the by-election with 52% against DP’s Deogratious Kiyingi (43%). Our source can reveal that on the eve of election day, a field meeting between Musiime, ISO operatives and NRM politicians was organised to lay strategies on how to win the poll. The NRM subsequently submitted a list of presiding officers whose loyalty it doubted. Musiime did the needful by reshuffling some and dismissing others. Gombolola chiefs, civil servants hired by the Electoral Commission to supervise elections in their area on polling day, were not spared by Musiime either. He shuffled them around.
In the end, even Joy Nandawula, the desk officer for this sub-region, was displaced by Musiime. With Nandawula and others out of the way, Musiime had managed to put the NRM firmly in charge of the entire process.
An ISO operative has told The Weekly Observer that NRM doubts Nandawula’s loyalty after she appeared not to support such machinations. She is perceived to be an opposition sympathiser, who might soon be shown the exit. Buikwe South In the case of Buikwe South parliamentary by-election in April 2008, sources have told The Weekly Observer that the DP candidate, Dr. Lulume Bayiga, won by default. The by-election was ordered by court after Bayiga challenged the election of NRM’s Anthony Mukasa. The NRM, ISO and their EC agents planned to intervene on the eve of the election as usual. Again Musiime was part of the plot. A list of favoured presiding officers was drafted and Musiime set about ordering the area registrar or returning officer, one Ibrahim Kakembo, to use these in place of the ones he had already approved after interviews and training.
But Kakembo reportedly refused to follow Musiime’s order. According to our sources, Kakembo’s refusal was because the disorganisation that Musiime had caused in Bukomansimbi was still fresh in the minds of many electoral officials. Known in EC circles to be professional, Kakembo is reportedly still bitter about the way his boss, EC Secretary Sam Rwakojo, sent him to Sembabule to replace a returning officer who had been sacked by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sam Kutesa, during the chaotic 2006 parliamentary election there.
As a result of this action, Kakembo’s name features prominently in court judgments as someone who messed up elections in Sembabule. Indeed that election was recently nullified by the Supreme Court. NRM’s Anifa Kawooya who won the acrimonious poll now faces bitter rival Joy Kabatsi in a by-election slated for January 7, 2009. Lulume was also reportedly helped by Bugweri MP Abdu Katuntu who volunteered some tips on how ISO helps the rigging process.
Katuntu landed on secret ISO notes about Bugweri in the run-up to his own by-election.
These tips led to the DP National Legal Adviser, Erias Lukwago (also Kampala Central MP), getting arrested as he attempted to confront Minister Kafabusa Werikhe who he claims was manning illegal polling stations. Rigging ‘Squad’ In our lead story last week, we reported extensively on how the NRM and ISO worked together to secure the vacant Kyadondo North seat for the ruling party.
We reported how ISO collects information about presiding officers and hands it over to the NRM, which then uses David Musiime’s good office to sack or transfer these officers. The newly appointed NRM-leaning electoral officers are then used to stuff ballot papers in the boxes before voting begins at 7a.m. Indeed two officials and a Police constable were caught in this act at a place known as Jagala with some 200 ballots already ticked in NRM’s favour. The by-election was narrowly won by the ruling party’s Robert Kasule Ssebunya, who beat his closest rival, DP’s Regina Bakitte by a mere 60 votes. However, this election is already being challenged in court on grounds that it was rigged. The courts have consistently pointed out fraud during elections in several petitions over the last couple of years, including the two filed by twice losing presidential candidate, Dr. Kizza Besigye in 2001 and 2006. On both occasions, the Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the EC had failed to conduct the election in a free and fair manner, but the judges fell short of nullifying the results. NRM-EC alliance Although David Musiime features prominently in this report, our information is that he is not the only one working for the NRM at the EC.
Musiime is supervised by the Director of Operations, Russel Leonard Mulekwah. Mulekwah is a well qualified individual who initially worked in Pallisa as district planner and later acting Chief Finance Officer. He joined the EC as a registrar before rising to become head of Voter Education and Training.
However, in 2005 he quit his job to contest NRM primaries for Budaka constituency. He was beaten by Loi Kageni Kiryapawo but went ahead to stand as an independent. After he lost, Mulekwah was employed briefly by the NRM Electoral Commission headed by Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda. He later re-joined the EC as Director of Operations.
Mulekwah works very closely with David Musiime as the duo use their offices to switch presiding officers back and forth, in a bid to secure unfair advantage for NRM candidates.
Also working for NRM, according to our sources, is Commissioner Joseph Biribonwa. Having been head of the Elect Museveni Task Force in Bunyoro in 2001, Biribonwa has an obvious conflict of interest. For his part in delivering Bunyoro to the NRM, he was rewarded with this appointment on November 18, 2002. In addition, Biribonwa recently became the commissioner for security, raising more eyebrows. His involvement with security (mainly Police, ISO and CMI) is a point of concern among some EC officials.
According to our sources, the NRM’s rigging squad code-named ‘Working Group Four’ works with Biribonwa. In fact, he attended a strategy meeting with the NRM Deputy Secretary General, Dorothy Hyuha, in Bugiri.
As we reported in our last issue, ‘Working Group Four’ is headed by Energy Minister Daudi Migereko.
Biribonwa is the linkman between this group and the EC, while David Musiime is the linkman between the EC and ISO, working particularly closely with Emmanuel Kakura, the ISO Director of ‘Political and Collection’.
Sources have further told The Weekly Observer that the security component of the election budget suspiciously keeps growing. It is now almost 20%.
One officer known as Twino is said to be the one picking this money. Initially, money meant for security would be given to District Police Commanders. Two other EC officials; Sam Rwakojo (Secretary) and Sister Margaret Magoba (deputy chairperson), although not mentioned in any field operations, are reported to be part of the NRM-leaning machinery at the Commission.
The trio of Biribonwa, Magoba and Rwakojo are in fact said to wield more power than the Chairman, Eng. Badru Kiggundu, and the rest of his team. According to our sources, Biribonwa is always in touch with the Police Chief, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura, during elections. Recruitment To consolidate NRM’s hold onto the Electoral Commission, our sources have told us that several jobs at the EC have been filled with NRM sympathisers, more so during a recent recruitment drive.
According to these sources, even if the top is changed, as the opposition and donors are demanding, field officials from the level of registrar down to district clerks, are enough to guarantee NRM safe passage. The term of office of the current group of commissioners expires next year, one year to the 2011 general elections. Opposition parties united under the ‘Inter-Party Co-operation’ umbrella have stated electoral reforms as one of their primary goals. Currently, electoral commissioners are all appointed by the President. Analysts argue that in a multi-party setting, other parties should also have a say on who becomes commissioner.
At the moment, the Commission is clearly unevenly constituted, with its Chairman (Kiggundu) having been an LC official (Makerere LC-II); the Secretary (Rwakojo) having been a Movement-supporting MP (Rwemiyaga, 1996-2001); a Commissioner (Biribonwa) having been on Museveni’s campaign task force (in Bunyoro, 2001). In addition, the Field Operations Officer (Musiime), as well as the Director of Operations (Mulekwah), contested NRM primaries albeit unsuccessfully. This is not to mention the systematic appointment of NRM sympathisers in middle and lower ranks of the Commission. Rwakojo speaks Commenting on these reports, the EC Secretary, Sam Rwakojo, told The Weekly Observer in a phone conversation that the reason presiding officers are changed is because of collusion with politicians. Such presiding officers sometimes collude with Gombolola chiefs supervising elections in their respective areas. Sometimes there is collusion “even with our own people,” he said. The EC, Rwakojo further explained didn’t have a field officer until David Musiime arrived.
Rwakojo admitted that Musiime had been discussed in a recent meeting, but denied other related information in our possession. He said Musiime was discussed after some staff lodged a complaint that he had changed some people [from their positions]. Rwakojo further explained that Birobonwa is commissioner for security because the seven commissioners keep changing their duties and he happens to be the one right now.
“We (EC leadership) may not be perfect,” he admitted, but added that part of the problem is leaders in Uganda failing to learn how to lose elections. When the opposition wins, it says; despite the rigging, when it loses, it cries rigging, Rwakojo lamented.
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EC top managersThe Electoral Commission is headed by seven commissioners. Below the Commissioners, there is management headed by the Secretary. Below him are three directors and 12 heads of departments. Below the heads of departments are regional desk officers, district registrars, clerks, secretaries, etc. Dr. Eng. Badru Kiggundu (chairman)
Was Makerere University Faculty of Technology Dean before joining EC. He is a former LC official for Makerere area. Sister Margaret Magoba (Deputy Chairperson)
Holder of a Master’s in Development Studies from Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi. Was head teacher of Immaculate Heart Girls Nyakibale, Rukungiri. Tom Buruku (Commissioner)
Holds a law degree from Dar es Salaam University. Served Red Cross for quite a long time, including in Geneva, Switzerland, and South Africa. Together with Stephen Ongaria, they are said to be voices of reason at the EC. As a result they are branded opposition. Dr. Jenny Okello (Commissioner)
She comes from Lango and holds a PhD in Linguistics from Indiana University. Her political affiliation is not well known but she plays safe at the EC. Joseph Biribonwa (Commissioner)
Former Elect Museveni Task Force boss for Bunyoro. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Stephen Ongaria (Commissioner)
He holds a Higher Diploma in Textiles from the Institute of Textile Technology in Manchester, UK. He was previously a CA delegate and a legislator. Initially UPC politician, he crossed to the Movement around 1996. He hails from Tororo. Tomasi Sisye Kiryapawo (Commissioner)
Was Museveni’s minister. Appointed Uganda’s High Commissioner to the UK after losing parliamentary elections in 2001. Sam Asiimwe Rwakoojo (Secretary)
Originates from Rwemikoma, Kiruhura District, but represented Lwemiyaga County in Parliament from 1996-2000. Rwakojo is responsible for the day to day running of the Commission. He later lost the seat in 2001 to Theodore Ssekikubo. Ssekikubo keeps challenging his academic papers, but parliamentary and EC information show that Rwakojo is a graduate of BA Accounting, Business Administration, Mc Pherson College, Kansas, USA. He joined the EC under Hajj Aziz Kasujja who sought Public Service advice on his appointment, and the body didn’t find Rwakoojo qualified for the job, but he was appointed nevertheless. Mulekwah Leonard (Director of Operations) Namugera Pontius (Director, Technical Services)
Namugera runs the EC’s computer room where all data is stored. Jovita Byamukama (Director, Finance and Administration).
She comes from Kabale and has worked in EC for sometime now, rising from an election officer to desk officer, and now director. Francis Ojede (Head, Human Resources)
He is a son of a bishop from Lira. Joined around 2003. Wamkoko Herbert (Head, IT)
He was acting head of data processing but made IT head during recent restructuring. He comes from Mbale and as a good born again Christian stays away from EC controversies. Wamala Joshua (Head, Election Management)
Hailing from Lungujja, he is probably the longest serving member of the management. He worked with the Interim Electoral Commission of Stephen Akabway and Justice Musoke Kibuka. Alfred Okello Oryem (Head, Legal)
He is a 2003 recruit who comes from Amuru District. Previously a state attorney, he was seconded to the Electoral Commission and later took over from Frank Nyakana who resigned as a result of issues with the Secretary. Nyakana’s crime was apparently to write recommending the nomination of Besigye while in prison. Joseph Lwanga (Head, Finance)
Comes from Mpigi and occupies a position that is considered not very influential. Opar Malakwang (Head, Administration)
Comes from Nebbi and used to be a returning officer. Molly Kamukama (Head, Voter Education and Training)
Comes from around Kiruhura District. She joined EC in 1999 as a data entry clerk. Promoted to head this department around 2003/4. David Musiime (Head, Field Operations)
Joined EC after the 2006 general elections. Ben Nsimbi was acting in the same capacity for five years but couldn’t be confirmed. Alecho Philip (Head, Voter Data and Management)
From Tororo, he was working in Prime Minister’s Office before joining EC around 2007. Boorokwa Robert (Head, Procurement)
He comes from Rukungiri. C. W. Ochola (Acting Head, Public Relations)
Has been at EC for about 10 years. He worked with UBC/Radio Uganda and has been an election officer in Bushenyi, Mukono, among other places.
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