Why NRM's CEC should be extolled for endorsing President Museveni

 

 

A few days ago I bumped into one of the top Opposition politicians in the country in one of the hotels in Kampala.

 

I had interviewed this Opposition top figure twice at Radio Hoima FM, where I was the head of the political talk shows and the news editor respectively. This was in 2001 and 2006 presidential campaigns where he was among the presidential candidates.

 

After exchanging greetings, he asked me "Amlan what are you doing nowadays? You must be a big man in Museveni's government because I read your articles regularly praising and defending him."

 

Another colleague of him whom he was seated together joined the conversation and said "but you young people why can't you join us in the struggle to liberate this country. Can't you see the man you are supporting is holding all of us captive including yourselves in our own country?"

 

I excused myself from these Opposition politicians and went away wondering why would the opposition leaders believe that any person who supports President Museveni should expect favours in return?

 

I know hundreds of people who support and spend sleepless nights during campaigns soliciting for votes for President Museveni expecting nothing in return but all they need and work for is to see the continued development, peace and stability for the country.

 

I have personally supported President Museveni by heading special campaign task forces during campaigns for three consecutive presidential campaign terms in Bunyoro Region and for 10 years now I write articles, and also appear on radio talk shows to defend the government.

 

I don't do this for personal gains, but for the good of the country because President Museveni has with no doubt performed to the expectations of the voters.

 

Therefore, for this senior opposition politician to think that if one is not rewarded for supporting President Museveni and the NRM government is an issue to think about is completely misguided and un called for.

 

Any honest, sincere and peace loving Ugandan supports Museveni because of his clean track record and his numerous achievements since he took over the presidency in 1986.

 

According to the Uganda bureau of statistics indicators, in 1986, when President Museveni took over the presidency, the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was $3.923b, but as of 2018, the country's GDP rose to $27b.

 

What is more encouraging and glad to note according to the Uganda bureau of statistics records is that before Museveni came to power, Ugandan's life expectancy was at 43 years, but today it stands at 63.7 years.

 

This basically means that the Museveni led government has put some measures in place like construction of more hospitals up to the parish levels, training of more medical personnel, encouraging people to grow food nutrients crops and immunization campaigns towards the elimination of the known killer diseases like measles, malaria, polio etc.

 

In one of my recent articles in the New Vision, I stated that today due to the immunisation campaign, it is difficult to find children suffering from polio even deep in rural areas.

 

Because of the good leadership of President Museveni even Uganda's population has increased from 15,154,521 million in 1986 to 40,308,000 million people to date. For example, in 1986, according to Uganda bureau of statistics, there was a total of 7,617,569 million women and 7,536,952 million men respectively but today there are 20,527,500 million women and 19,780,500 million men. This means that a total of 25,153,479 million Ugandans have been added on since Museveni became President in 1986.

 

There are so many factors that are contributing to Uganda's population growth and among them is government's effort in fighting the infant mortality rate. Many children are growing into adults and these are the ones President Museveni these days refers to as Abazukulu (grand children).

 

In fact according to UBOS, in 1986, 101 children out of 1000 live births would die, but the number of death has since reduced from 101 death to 43 death per 1000 live births.

 

By 1986, according to UBOS, only 2.2 million children were enrolled in primary education but as of 2017 at least 9.4 million children were enrolled for primary education thanks to the NRM's program of Universal primary education (UPE).

 

According to the same authority (UBOS) in 1986 only 1,900 kilometer of roads were tarmacked country wide, but as of last year, a total of 4,551 kilometer of roads had been tarmacked. Interestingly, to note also is the electricity generation capacity where in 1986 only 60mw was being generated and as of 2017 the country was generating 789.24MW. Even this figure is expected to raise after the completion of Karuma dam in Kilyandongo District

 

It is under the Museveni led government that the country is experiencing huge and important projects taking place in different parts of the country. For example, the Uganda support to municipal infrastructure development programme (USMID) has changed and beautified many towns namely Hoima, Arua, Gulu, Lira, Soroti, Moroto, Mbale, Tororo, Fort Portal , Mbarara, Kabale and Masaka .

 

Under this programme the above districts have their towns installed with street lights, several town roads tarmacked, markets and industrial parks constructed and many more other benefits.

 

Therefore, the NRM central executive committee and the NRM district chairpersons took the right decision to endorse President Museveni as the NRM presidential flag bearer for 2021 election.

 

By endorsing President Museveni it means that the above outlined achievements and many more will come and Ugandans will continue experiencing peace, stability, steady progress and general development. I believe also our neighbouring countries will still need to have president Museveni around for his pan African spirit of helping neighbouring countries to see that peace returns in the region.

 

There is no doubt that Ugandans still need President Museveni around because he has all what it takes to transform Uganda into a first world country.

 

Some people who don't travel out of Kampala perhaps are the ones who have no idea how Ugandans even in rural areas are realising rural transformation at a high speed. I have several times stated in my articles that it doesn't matter how long one stays in power but what matters is the accountability for the time spent in an office.

 

Another point of concern is if that leader occupies the office through democratic means. As a person who has for long been involved in politics I understand the fear and panic the opposition activists suffered when they learnt that the NRM Central Executive Committee (CEC) had endorsed President Museveni as the flag bearer for 2021 because they know once he (Museveni's) name appears on the ballot paper they cannot defeat him due to the support and trust he still enjoys from the majority of the Ugandan voters.

 

However, my concern was on the so called NRM rebel MPs who called a press conference and said that they were disassociating themselves from the CEC resolution. First of all the NRM rebel MPs are not part of CEC and therefore cannot disassociate themselves from the resolution that they were not a party to.

 

They should wait for NEC and the National Delegates conference and air out their views but should have also monitored the support the CEC resolution received from voters who were able to make comments on various FM radio stations country wide.

 

Museveni will stand in 2021 and he will still win comfortably because Ugandans know where they came from, where they are and where they want to be in the next fifty years.

 

The writer is NRM mobiliser Bunyoro region