Boda-Boda Riders in Alebtong Demand Shs217m Election Mobilisation Money.
The riders claim the money was sent specifically for their election activities but they have never received any payment.
Regina Lalam
BY HILLARY OPIO OMARA
ALEBTONG DISTRICT - Boda-Boda riders in Alebtong District have accused the NRM leadership in the district of withholding Shs217 million allegedly sent to support about 3,000 bodaboda operators who helped mobilise voters during the January 2026 general elections.
The riders claim the money was sent as compensation for their activities during the election period,but they say they have never received it.
Speaking to Radio Q FM in the North Kyoga Regional Office in Lira City on Thursday 13,2026,Alebtong District Boda-Boda Chairperson Richard Ewany-Ewany said the riders are demanding accountability for the funds.
Ewany-Ewany said the money was reportedly meant for approximately 3,000 bodaboda riders who participated in activities aimed at mobilising voters during the elections.
He said the riders want an explanation from Alebtong District NRM Chairperson Robert Ocen Abia,whom they accuse of holding the money.
The bodaboda leaders said they are prepared to listen to Ocen's explanation but want transparency on how the funds were received and used. Several riders,including Dickens Okello and Robert Opio,expressed frustration,saying they worked hard during the election period but have allegedly not benefited from the money reportedly sent for them.
They said receiving the funds would help them address various challenges affecting their families and livelihoods. In response,Alebtong District NRM Chairperson Robert Ocen Abia denied that the money was intended to pay individual bodaboda riders.
Ocen told Radio Q FM that the funds were meant for voter mobilisation and election-related activities,including supporting activities to encourage people to turn up and vote,rather than direct payments to individual bodaboda operators.
He further suggested that the complaints could be linked to individuals attempting to create confusion over the purpose and management of the funds.
The bodaboda riders,however,maintain that the money was intended to support them and are demanding a clear account of how it was handled. Radio Q FM is tried to seek clarification from the North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson SP Patrick Jimmy Okema regarding the matter.
At the time of filing this report,he had not responded to requests for comment. The riders are now calling for transparency and accountability over the alleged Shs217 million,saying they want to know who received the money,how it was spent and why they were not paid.
