This Is Panic, Not Politics: Kithulha Fires Back At Ferigo Over Rigging Claims

Tensions are rising in Kasese Municipality as one of the parliamentary contenders, Francis Mugisa Kithulha, has pushed back forcefully against allegations that he is plotting to rig next month’s general election, describing the claims as unfounded, reckless and designed to distract voters from substantive debate.

Speaking in Kasese town, Kithulha, who is contesting the seat as an independent after the recent NRM primaries, said he was stunned by assertions made publicly by the incumbent legislator, Ferigo Kambale, that intelligence reports linked him to the alleged collection of voter location slips.

Kithulha insisted the accusations betrayed a fundamental misunderstanding of the voting process or a deliberate attempt to sow suspicion. “This is my first time to contest in a general election,” he said. “I did not even know there was such a thing as two votes. Every person casts one vote, and each voter keeps their own slip.”

He questioned how such allegations could be verified, asking whether any voter had failed to find their slip when they went to collect it.

He cited his own household as an example, noting that he, his wife and his sister had all collected their slips without difficulty.

In his view, the claims pointed less to malpractice and more to panic within rival camps. “Why would someone start looking for other people’s slips unless they expected to find them missing?” he asked. “All the slips are with their owners.”

Kithulha framed the dispute as evidence of a changing political mood in the municipality, arguing that voters are increasingly vigilant and unwilling to surrender their rights. He suggested that tactics he says may have worked in previous contests were now being challenged by an electorate that was more alert. “People in Kasese Municipality are awake,” he said. “Everyone is holding onto what belongs to them.”

The former NRM primary contender also took issue with what he described as being singled out in a race that has six candidates. He told supporters that the attention directed at him by the incumbent was itself revealing. “The one lamenting is the current Member of Parliament,” he said. “If he is under pressure, it is because the people are supporting the right thing.”

While he avoided responding point by point to further accusations, Kithulha warned that repeated statements and images shared about him on social media could cross legal lines. He said his lawyers had been alerted to assess the impact of what he described as damage to his personal and family reputation, adding that any formal response would come after the election.

He accused his rival of abandoning issue based campaigning in favour of personal attacks. “We are busy telling voters what we will do for them,” he said. “Instead of telling people what he has done and what he plans next, he is fighting me.”

Kithulha also questioned the implications of alleging large scale rigging before polling day, arguing that such claims indirectly undermine confidence in the Electoral Commission. “The elections are conducted by the Electoral Commission of Uganda,” he said. “When you say they will be rigged, you are saying the commission is not competent to do its work.”

The exchange follows remarks made earlier by Mr Kambale at a press briefing in Kasese, where he announced the launch of what he called a vote protection campaign ahead of the January 15 polls.

He claimed intelligence indicated that one rival candidate had begun mobilising people using voter slips and pre marked ballot papers, warning that those involved risked arrest for electoral offences.

He also urged voters to focus on his record in office, highlighting infrastructure projects and defending his pledges, including plans to secure a CT scanner for the area.

The broader political backdrop adds another layer to the contest. Kithulha finished second in the NRM primaries with 6,247 votes, behind Mr Kambale’s 7,561, though he maintains he won with a larger tally and alleges intimidation and tampering with voter registers.

Those grievances, he says, prompted his decision to run as an independent while maintaining NRM leanings. He has called on supporters to remain calm, campaign peacefully and avoid hate speech.

With less than a month to polling day, the dispute reflects the intensity of competition in Kasese Municipality and the wider national stakes.

For Kithulha, the focus, he insists, should remain on persuading voters rather than trading accusations. “When someone starts lamenting before the vote,” he said, “often it is because they already know how badly they have failed.”