Bugiri, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | For the last five days, Kampala woman aspirant MP Agnes Namaganda hasn’t set foot in her marital home in Nalumunye or seen her four children including a two-year-old baby after she fled the home following a brawl with her husband over her political activities.
Namaganda who has been married to Dick Twinomujuni, an official in the Ministry of Finance but attached to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries until last week, told a news conference on Monday afternoon that she fled following orders by her husband to abandon her quest to stand on a National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket.
She said the Wednesday decision came after continuous harassment which started as soon as she declared support to Robert Kyagulanyi Bobi Wine and his People Power pressure group. While she says she can’t abandon the party, she worries that her life is in danger from her husband.
Now, Namaganda who claims she was banned from entering the home with her NUP posters or anything that describes her as such said the disagreement with her husband has left her with no access to family finances and a car that she would be used to facilitate her campaigns.
When URN contacted Twinomujuni, he said being a civil servant, he wouldn’t want to be identified as one who engages in politics which is a reason as to why he banned NUP campaign teams or campaign materials to be kept at his home.
Referring to the move by Namaganda to address a press conference an act of seeking a sympathy vote, he said he never threw her out of the home but rather put in place rules that made her choose to leave.
Also, he said, this wasn’t the first serious disagreement they have had as a couple revealing that the wife has been selling the family assets and necessities without consulting him and would give the money as an offertory to her pastor Prophet Elvis Mbonye.
However, Namaganda says rather than seeking sympathy as Twinomujuni claims, she came out on behalf of the many women whose right to participate in democratic processes has been stifled by husbands like hers. She urged women rights organizations to come up and fight for women to regain their constitutional right.
Just after the NRM parliamentary Party Primaries recently, a consortium of NGOs – the National Election Watch Uganda put out a statement highlighting that some women faced the challenge of being women while participating in the election.
“A candidate for Aringa South constituency in Yumbe district informed us that her opponent misinformed voters that women have reserved seats in Parliament and should not stand on the open seat. Apart from campaigning, she, therefore, had to spend time educating voters about the fact that women have a right to stand on the open seat even when the law gives them reserved seats”, the report highlighted.
Namaganda says this and more including domestic violence could be faced as women participate in the forthcoming general elections.
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