KAMPALA. Sanjay Tanna , a Tororo –based prominent businessman has withdrawn from the race e for the Chairperson of the NRM Entrepreneurs League in the NRM’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).
In an interview on Sunday Mr Sanjay said: “Yes, I indeed withdrew from the race…and the reasons for my withdrawal are well stipulated in the statement I have released,”
The former Tororo Municipality legislator was among the nine competitors in the race. Others are: King Ceasor Mulenga, Mr Hassan Basajjabalaba, Philip Kakuru, Mwesigwa Rukikari, and Mukesh Shumuk.
Mr Sanjay claimed in a statement that the process had been compromised and infiltrated with malpractice and the deliberate inaccessibility of the voters .
“Together with fellow candidates, I first submitted a joint petition on 17th August, later raised the same concerns before CEC during vetting on 21st August, and again through my formal letter of 23rd August to your office. In all these submissions, I highlighted grave irregularities, including the bribery and ferrying of voters outside the country, and the fact that the majority of the voter base was rendered inaccessible by being scattered in hotels and denied to candidates for lawful engagement,” he wrote.
He emphasised that his decision was made “with regret, but with firm conviction,” underscoring his continued loyalty to the party .
“I remain a loyal cadre of the NRM, committed to the Party’s vision and values, and I hope that the leadership will reflect on these concerns to strengthen the integrity of our internal democratic processes,” he said.
Giving his response on Sunday Mr Emmanuel Dombo, the NRM spokesperson, said he had not personally seen Mr Tanna’s withdrawal letter ,but reiterated that the party doesn’t force anyone to contest for any position.
“We are lucky that he even informed us because another person would choose to keep quiet and remain at home.
However, the issue he is raising has already been raised and was raised yesterday during the NE meeting, and the party Chairman ordered an investigation into it,” he said
He added, “The President guided that it is bad to disqualify someone just based on rumours and guided that we leave the investigation to take its course and trust me, even if someone is elected in office and the investigation pins them, they will be disqualified.”
Mr Sanjay, alongside other candidates including Dr Kakuru, Mr Mulenga, Mr Shumuk, and Hajj Karim Karamagi (candidate for Vice Chair Central), petitioned the party leadership, where they claimed that scores of delegates had been ferried by bus to the neighbouring countries.
They alleged that some of the delegates, living in “appalling situations,” had contacted them asking to be returned to Uganda.
At a joint press conference in Kampala on August 16 they said, “We found ourselves at a crossroads on a very pertinent issue that the majority of my colleagues here and those not present cannot find the delegates to whom or the electorate that are supposed to be electing us and have failed to deliver their message to the electorates.”