Residents of Buyaaya village, Mawokota South Constituency, Mpigi district found themselves sitting in the dark due to politics after the outgoing Member of Parliament Yusuf Nsibambi ordered the electricity to be cut shortly after he lost his seat in Parliament in the January 15 election.
The power outage, which lasted for several days disrupted homes and small businesses, following the election of Suzan Nakawuki of the ruling National Resistance Movement. Nsibambi, a two-time member of the legislature who was elected on the Forum for Democratic Change ticket, had held this seat for ten years.
According to a Ugandan newspaper, Parliament Watch, Nsibambi admits that he was the one who funded the installation of electrical infrastructure in Buyaaya, including street lights and a transformer, an investment that he says cost about UGX 135 million. He says that because the project was funded from his own pocket, he still has the right to cancel it.
“I am no longer responsible for these people. That gas is not government property,” said Nsibambi. “If they appreciated what I did for them as a person, they would vote for me to come back.”
He also warned that he will withdraw support for more than 100 students, as he accused the citizens of being ungrateful and rejecting his manifesto, which he said prioritizes the eradication of poverty and education.
“I don’t want to be seen as competing with a different campaign. I let the new member of Parliament work in his own way,” he added.