Kiggundu’s last wish on elections

Engineer Badru Kiggundu former Electoral Commission chairman

Dr. Badru Kiggundu has been roundly criticised for many ills that have happened in Uganda’s recent elections. But after fourteen years at the helm of the election management process Dr. Kiggundu recently gave his piece of advice to authorities on overcoming challenges about election management in Uganda.

While bidding farewell to the nation, Dr. Kiggundu made a passionate plea to the government to establish an election management institute to train Ugandans to train the Wanaichi on election management.

Kiggundu said: “In Uganda, Election management is not formally taught in any known institution to produce graduates in election management.”

In fact, Kiggundu points says that the lack of well trained cadres in election management greatly contribute to other election-related evils such as violence and voter apathy.

But Kiggundu’s view has been downplayed as escapist by the former MP for Lubaga division John Ken Lukyamuzi. Lukyamuzi said: “I wonder why Mr. Kigundu has just seen this at this late moment. Lukyamuzi argues that election-related offences and mismanagement is not a consequence of lack of trained personnel but rather a result of a lack of a culture of democracy in the country.

Lukyamuzi says that better election management comes from free-minded people.

Jinja Municipality East Member of Parliament Paul Mwiru who suffered the misfortune of being voted out by Dr. Kiggundu’s EC also said that while election management training may be essential, it is not the only problem to Uganda’s poor election affairs.

“Election Management Training Institute is not bad but Kiggundu should not tell us that this is a reason his regime in office of commission Uganda has had poor election management. Because he has been partisan in public office.

Ibrahim Semujju Nganda, the MP for Kyadondo East and spokesperson for the opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) said: “Uganda only needs people who are transparent. Even if that institute is established nothing positive will come out of it.” In fact Ssemujju argues that it is the educated or elite society of Ugandans well equipped with the tenets of democracy that have been at the forefront of mismanaging the process.

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