In Uganda, the gold rush has shifted. It’s no longer about winning a parliamentary seat. It’s about selling shovels in politics. Just like during the California Gold Rush, many people make their money by providing supplies to miners, not by mining gold.
The recent NRM party parliamentary primaries turned into a circus. To boost transparency, the party held the elections in broad daylight. Voters had to line up behind their preferred candidates. This led to chaos. In some areas, voters left the lines after voting and went to makeshift bars for drinks. Others gave money directly to voters to secure support.
A few candidates cut out the middlemen. They bribed returning officers to declare them winners. One former cabinet minister was seen alone in the queue while his wife was torn between loyalty and a rival candidate’s long line.
The real winners weren’t the candidates, but the “shovel sellers.” These included people renting out vehicles, public address systems, and selling posters and T-shirts. Religious leaders also benefitted. They allowed candidates to speak at Sunday or Friday services in exchange for money. Even traditional medicine men profited by offering services to politicians seeking an edge.
The biggest winners were the moneylenders. Banks don’t usually lend money for parliamentary campaigns, so private lenders charge high interest. These lenders wait until the winners are sworn in to offer loans. This allows candidates to repay their debts.
In the end, it’s not about gold. It’s about selling shovels in politics and profiting from the election madness.
