Museveni combs Jinja ahead of byelection

President Yoweri Museveni campaigning in Jinja.

President Yoweri Museveni, who is also the chairman of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), has appealed to the people of Jinja Municipality East to vote the NRM flag bearer,  Igeme Nathan Nabeta in the bye-election slated for Thursday March 15, 2018.

Museveni was on Tuesday evening addressing voters at Kilembe village in Walukuba Division, Jinja East Constituency in Jinja Municipality. He said it was not wise for the electorate to vote opposition Members of Parliament in a multiparty dispensation because opposition MPs spend all their time criticising the government instead of partnering up with it to develop their areas.

 
The seat fell vacant after Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate, Paulo Mwiru took the winner Nabeta to court over electoral malpractices in the 2016 elections, upon which court ordered for fresh elections.

Museveni said the opposition MPs are a disservice to the country and their own electorate because they never follow up on their areas' development agenda.

 
"In the last term, you sent Mwiru to Parliament and I was the President, but I did not see him for all the five years and so most of the constituency needs lacked a follow up. Maybe you just helped him to go to Parliament and get a salary for five years," the President said.

"You should know the power that lies in your electoral mandate. Stop playing with it. You should know who protects your interests and not just look at small things like hand-outs," he added.

 "We have put a lot of money to support the youth, women and the business community, but it's being swindled because of lack of monitoring, which is supposed to be done by the leaders you elect."

 
The NRM chairman said the Movement's development programme focuses on guaranteeing peace and stability, development of infrastructure, wealth and job creation.  He noted that this can easily be achieved when the Movement commands unquestionable majority in Parliament.

On wealth and job creation, Museveni said Ugandans must engage in commercial profit-oriented agriculture, focus on promoting industrialisation, and promote the service and the ICT sectors.

He warned those reported to be using intimidation and beating others to cause political submission that they will pay a heavy price because it cannot be tolerated.

 
"Uganda is a free country where citizens should be at freedom to elect people of their choice and those seeking leadership positions must use convincing methods to win the people, but not intimidation," he said.