ALLIANCE FORFOR FINANCE FINANCE MONITORING MONITORING ALLIANCE FORFOR FINANCE FINANCE MONITORING MONITORING Unregulated Campaign Spending and It’s Impact on Electoral Participants in Uganda A Call for Legislative Action and Civic Engagement This report is authored by Eddie Kayinda and Henry Muguzi. It is made possible by support of the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF). The contents are the sole responsibility of the authors & ACFIM, and do not in any way reflect the views of DGF Unregulated Campaign Spending and its Impact on Electoral Participants in Uganda i Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM) Unregulated Campaign Spending and Its Impact on Electoral Participants in Uganda A Call for Legislative Action and Civic Engagement Authored by: Eddie Kayinda and Henry Muguzi Published By: Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM - Uganda) Interservice Tower 1st Floor Plot 33 Lumumba Avenue P.O. Box 372016 Kampala Tel: +256 393 217168 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.politicalfinanceafrica.org © Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher. The reproduction or use of this publication for purposes of informing, public policy or for academic or charitable purposes is exempted from the restriction. 1 | Unregulated Campaign Spending and its Impact on Electoral Participants in Uganda Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM) Unregulated Campaign Spending and It’s ImpactUnregulated Campaign on Electoral Participants in Spending and Its Impact on Uganda Electoral Participants in UgandaA Call for Legislative Action A Call for Legislative Action and Civic and Civic Engagement Engagement Authored by: Eddie Kayinda and Henry Muguzi Published By: Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM - Uganda) Interservice Tower 1st Floor Plot 33 Lumumba Avenue P.O. Box 372016 Kampala Tel: +256 393 217168 Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.politicalfinanceafrica.org © Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM), 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher. The reproduction or use of this publication for purposes of informing, public policy or for academic or charitable purposes is exempted from the restriction. 1 | Unregulated Campaign Spending and its Impact on Electoral Participants in Uganda Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM) Acknowledgements This Report reflects the views and perceptions of political party leaders, legislators in the 10th and previous Ugandan Parliaments, political leaders at Local Government level, political party leaders, former and aspiring political candidates, the electorate/voters, campaign managers/agents, academia, private sector associations, civil society organisations, religious leaders, opinion leaders, and media that interacted with ACFIM research team at national and subnational levels. Special thanks go to ACFIM member organizations namely; Midwestern Region Anti-Corruption Coalition (MIRAC), Rwenzori Anti-Corruption Coalition (RAC), MAYANK Anti-Corruption Coalition (MACCO), Anti- Corruption Coalition of Busoga (ACCOB), and First African Bicycle Organisation (FABIO) for providing research assistants and organizing appointments for key informant interviews. ACFIM is grateful to all persons that availed time for the research team and willingly shared useful insights which have been aggregated into this ground breaking report. We cannot thank enough the political leaders (former and incumbents alike), private sector experts, politicians, civil society and academia that participated in the validation workshop. ACFIM is further grateful to the staff that edited the various chapters of this report, namely; Felix Kafuuma, Ronald Nabugoomu, Abel Eseru, Rose Achom and Fiona Nantamu. Last but by no means list, ACFIM is grateful to the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) for appreciating that political finance is one of the most under- researched subjects in Uganda and providing all financial support that made the study possible. Without you this study many never have seen the light of day. Thank you every one. 2 | Unregulated Campaign Spending and its Impact on Electoral Participants in Uganda Alliance for Finance MonitoringALLIANCE FORFOR FINANCE FINANCE MONITORING (ACFIM)MONITORING Acknowledgements This Report reflects the views and perceptions of political party leaders, legislators in the 10th and previous Ugandan Parliaments, political leaders at Local Government level, political party leaders, former and aspiring political candidates, the electorate/voters, campaign managers/agents, academia, private sector associations, civil society organisations, religious leaders, opinion leaders, and media that interacted with ACFIM research team at national and subnational levels. Special thanks go to ACFIM member organizations namely; Midwestern Region Anti-Corruption Coalition (MIRAC), Rwenzori Anti-Corruption Coalition (RAC), MAYANK Anti-Corruption Coalition (MACCO), Anti- Corruption Coalition of Busoga (ACCOB), and First African Bicycle Organisation (FABIO) for providing research assistants and organizing appointments for key informant interviews. ACFIM is grateful to all persons that availed time for the research team and willingly shared useful insights which have been aggregated into this ground breaking report. We cannot thank enough the political leaders (former and incumbents alike), private sector experts, politicians, civil society and academia that participated in the validation workshop. ACFIM is further grateful to the staff that edited the various chapters of this report, namely; Felix Kafuuma, Ronald Nabugoomu, Abel Eseru, Rose Achom and Fiona Nantamu. Last but by no means list, ACFIM is grateful to the Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) for appreciating that political finance is one of the most under- researched subjects in Uganda and providing all financial support that made the study possible. Without you this study many never have seen the light of day. Thank you every one. 2 | UnregulatedUnregulated Campaign Campaign Spending Spending and its and Impact its Impact on Electoral on Electoral Participants Participants in Ugandain Uganda 2 ALLIANCE FORFOR FINANCE FINANCE MONITORING MONITORING Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM) Alliance for Finance Monitoring (ACFIM) Contents Legitimate and Illegitimate Campaign Spending...................................................... 42 Other Factors Determining Election Outcomes ....................................................... 43 Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... 2 Perceptions on Electoral Expenditure ...................................................................... 45 Regional Variations in Voter Behaviors ................................................................... 46 Table of Contents ..................................................................................................... 3 Sources of Campaign Money ................................................................................... 48 List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... 5 The Paradox of Commercialised Electoral Politics ..................................................... 53 List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... 5 Role of the Electorate in Commercialising Politics ............................................ 54 Abbreviations and Acronyms .............................................................................................. 6 Impact of Campaign Spending on Electoral Participants .......................................... 57 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................... 7 ............................................. 59 Description of the Problem ......................................................................................... 7 Impact of Campaign Spending on Political Candidates Objectives of the Study .............................................................................................. 7 Coping Mechanisms .............................................................................................. 63 Research Design ..................................................................................................................... 8 Case Studies of Former Candidates/Legislators Impacted by unregulated Campaign Spending ............................................................................................................. 69 Overview of the Study ......................................................................................................... 12 Case Study 1: A Political Journey Gone Wrong for Hon. Margaret Angufiru .......... 70 Background .............................................................................................................. 12 Case Study 2: Former Candidate Committed to Civil Prisons and Faints ............... 71 Introduction..............................................................................................................