Eastern MPs to meet Museveni over 500 pledges

By Mary Karugaba                          

With the 2016 election politics gathering momentum, MPs from the eastern region have embarked on a massive campaign to have all presidential pledges since 1996 fulfilled.

The legislators led by Soroti Municipality MP Mike Mukula have compiled a list of over 500 unfulfilled pledges which they plan to present to President Yoweri Museveni .

Mukula said during the presidential campaigns, he moved with the President all over the region and the meeting was just to remind him of the pledges he made.

The MPs from Bugisu, Bekedia, Teso, Elgon zone and Busoga argued that if not fulfilled, their seats are at risk and so is the President’s.

“Some of the pledges date back as far as the 1996 presidential campaigns. If there is no service delivery in our areas, we are going to be the first victims. For example, in last year's election alone, we lost 13 ministers and over half of the NRM MPs from the region. If this trend continues, we are in trouble,” Mukula warned.

Some of the MPs threatened to stop campaigning for Museveni in the region until all the promises have been fulfilled.

According to the list, most unfilled pledges are in areas of education, clean water, hospitals, money for SACCOS, bridges, electricity, factories and compensation. 

In a stormy meeting with officials from the ministry of works headed by State minister John Byabagambe, the MPs complained that most eastern region roads were impassable with broken bridges.

The MPs although noted that the problem of poor roads was crosscutting, Nakapiripirit-Moroto road, Kapchorwa-Swan road and Mbale-Tororo-Soroti road need urgent attention.

“With the coming rains, the situation is going to get worse. We are now stuck in Kampala because we can't travel to our constituencies because the roads are impassable,” an MP noted.

 The meeting was called by Mukula to review the performance of the NRM Party Manifesto, the presidential pledges, the district' development programmes and individual MPs' promises to the people in their respective constituencies.

Capt. Mukula is the Eastern Uganda NRM vice chairperson.

 It was attended by both NRM and Opposition MPs.

Minister Byabagambe apologized to the MPs for the poor roads but said the ministry has come up with a plan to work on five major roads in the region.

The plan involves procuring contractors who will be stationed on some roads for two years to ensure that no major damage develops on the road.

“I apologize for the delays in the construction of Mbale-Soroti and Kapchorwa roads. The major problem has been lengthy procurement processes but the contractors are now on site. What we need is quickening the process,” said the State minister.

Beginning next week, the Minister said he will camp in Karamoja with contractors to supervise works on some of the roads.