A candidate for the Ntungamo Women MP seat, Ms Winnie Twinomugisha Ndiyo, has spent over two weeks in Ntungamo prison over failed payment of a loan obligation from a SACCO.
Ms Twinomugisha who was nominated under the People’s Front for Freedom (PFF) party says she took the loan from Rubaare people’s SACCO two years ago as she processed papers to move out of the country for work.
“I had taken a loan of about Shs5M (which has since accumulated over interests) as I processed papers to go to Dubai for work. I had been convinced by the Ruhaama East MP (Benjamin Kamukama- NRM) who exports labour that I can earn some money through working there. It turned out that he was a conman and I only reached there to find that I would have no work. I had given him all the money I had. I returned only to face debts,” Ms Twinomugisha said.
She was sent to prison as a remanded civil debtor on November 26 by Magistrate Grade I Edgar Kakuru.
Ms Twinomugisha, a former journalist, participated in the 2020 NRM primary elections for women MP, losing to Ms Bata Kamateneti who was later elected in 2021. Ms Kamateneti also lost the race in 2025 to newcomer Ms Viola Namanya.
“After I was nominated, I was approached by several NRM people to cross back to the party which I rejected. They were offering to pay for my loans but my question was why now. I had agreed on a repayment plan with the SACCO and had started clearing without default. However, as I was on the campaign trail, they called me that bailiffs had arrested my father, when I reached court I was the one taken in, fortunately, my father was released. They were so dishonest and they breached our agreement, I can’t know why,” she said.
The Ntungamo PFF district chairperson, Mr Nazario Ahimbisibwe, says the party branch in Ntungamo is engaging party lawyers to see what they can do about the situation without necessarily thinking about repayment of the loan.
“We want our candidate out, we understand the loan is her personal business but she is our candidate. It is a great challenge that many people are being oppressed for loans, not only opposition people but also NRM leaders. We are engaging the party legal system to see how she can be back on the campaign trail but also save her from the situation,” Mr Ahimbisibwe said.
According to an officer at Ntungamo prison, there are at least 5 civil female debtors that are politicians or wives of politicians. Most of the debtors are either Sacco borrowers or money lenders borrowers.
The Ntungamo resident district commissioner, Ms Miriam Kagaiga, says money lenders and SACCOs and courts promotion of custodial debt collection is hindering women access to credit over fear which may make many withdrawal from doing business.
“Many women are surviving on soft loans to do business, harassing them with custody over failure to pay is too much. Most women have no land to use for collateral and opt for different options, when they delay or fail to clear in time they end up in jail, I think we need more alternatives,” Ms Kagaiga noted.