Voter Bribery Accusations: Two Men Granted Bail Ahead of September Trial

Strategic Insights -

Two men accused of voter bribery in the recently concluded National Resistance Movement (NRM) primary elections for the Rukiga District Woman Member of Parliament flag bearer have been granted bail. Julius Twesigye and Godwin Niwahereza, who appeared before Principal Chief Magistrate His Worship Julius Mutabazi, have been charged with conspiracy to commit a felony. The case was adjourned to September 16, 2025, with each suspect granted cash bail of Shs 500,000, bonded with Shs 5 million non-cash. The accused were accused of conspiring to bribe voters in favour of a particular candidate on July 17, 2025, at Siindi Village, Siindi Ward, Mparo Town Council.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Kabale Grade One Magistrates Court has charged two men, Julius Twesigye (54) and Godwin Niwahereza (19), with voter bribery during the NRM primary elections for the Rukiga District Woman Member of Parliament flag bearer.
  • The accused allegedly conspired to bribe voters in favour of a particular candidate on July 17, 2025, and were granted bail with two sureties each.
  • The suspects were granted cash bail of Shs 500,000, with sureties bonded Shs 5 million non-cash, and are set to reappear in court on September 16, 2025.
  • Defense counsel Patrick Kiconco Katabaazi argued that the accused had clean criminal records and enjoyed good standing in their community, which influenced the court's decision to grant bail.
  • The prosecutor, Isaac Onyango, warned that the accused could interfere with ongoing investigations and opposed the bail application.
  • The case involves the State House Anti-Corruption Unit and local leaders, local leaders, and police intelligence in Rukiga District.
  • Kibuuka Bernard, a resident of Siindi Village, and Mbarinda Isaac, a resident of the same village, were presented as sureties for Niwahereza, while Twesigye had Phionah Tumuronde (38), his wife, and Kibuuka Bernard as his sureties.

Statistics:

  • Shs 500,000: the cash bail amount granted to each suspect.
  • Shs 5 million: the non-cash sureties bond for each suspect.
  • September 16, 2025: the date set for the next court appearance.
  • July 17, 2025: the date of the alleged voter bribery incident.

Sources:

  • The Uganda Monitor
  • Kigezi Regional Police Publicist