Ugandans react to NRM manifesto week

POLITICS  NRM

A cross-section of people have expressed mixed reactions to the NRM manifesto week during which achievements over the last four years are being showcased.

Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, the Prime Minister during the launch last Friday said government ministries, departments and agencies are to come up and inform the public about their performance against the NRM agenda.

"Overall, our assessment of the implementation of the manifesto commitments to date stands at about 80%. As we stand, we are on course to achieve most of the targets we set out," Rugunda disclosed.

He cited among others commissioning of the 183MW Isimba hydroelectric power dam, reviving Uganda Airlines and opening of Mulago specialised women's hospital.

Dr Willis Bashasha, the head of the manifesto implementation unit at Office of the President observed that respective government ministries, agencies and departments will report on performance against manifesto commitments.

"It is a form of celebration because it coincides with the date when the President was sworn in. It is largely about accountability for different sectors on how they have delivered," Bashasha explained.

Reactions from opposition

Winnie Kiiza, the Kasese woman MP wondered how NRM could go ahead to suffocate opposition while rushing to show what the ruling party has achieved so far.

Kasese woman Member of Parliament Winnie Kiiza. (File photo)

 
"Imagine even when we decided to go and offer moral and financial support to the Kasese flood victims as opposition we were blocked at Sandston hotel. Security simply locked us in as President Museveni rushed to go ahead of us," she argued.

According to her, among the presidential directives pertaining to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown is a freeze on political activities which the NRM is ironically undertaking through manifesto presentations.

Asuman Basalirwa, the Bugiri Municipality MP and the JEEMA party president argued that NRM party has since time immemorial embraced politics of unfairness.

Bugiri municipality Member of Parliament Asuman Basalirwa

 
"The COVID-19 lockdown gave the ruling party leverage to start running the political race ahead of everybody else. That is the essence of having the manifesto week while others are in lockdown," Basalirwa asserted.

He queried the rationale used to arrive at 80% manifesto fulfilment given that much remains to be done.

Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, the Kyadondo East legislator disputed claims of 80% achievement by the ruling party.

"There are pertinent issues like provision of sanitary towels to the girl-child, construction of key roads. Indeed, talking about such a percentage or so in regard to manifesto implementation is a broad day lie," Kyagulanyi claimed.

Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, the Kyadondo East legislator. (File photo)

 
He said among the many unfulfilled pledges was the promise of taking Uganda to middle-income status by 2020.

Jack Wamanga Wamai, the Mbale Municipality MP and member of FDC described the assertion by the prime minister that the party has realised 80% of the NRM manifesto as ‘an empty claim'.

"To say that the party has attained 80 percent of its manifesto when the majority of Ugandans are drawn in abject poverty, no medicine in hospitals is in its entirety very unfortunate," Wamai said.

He said priding over a situation where a sizeable proportion of Uganda are unable to provide for their families, massive unemployment among the youth is hollow and an empty crave for cheap popularity.

"A prudent practice would have been finding a lasting solution to these critical social challenges at hand. It would be far better than wasting time enumerating achievements that don't reflect visible impact to the ordinary person," Wamai observed.

He noted that the former governments of Idi Amin and Obote may have had their own share of misgivings but never was there a time when the health sector was compromised.

Jack Wamanga Wamai, the Mbale Municipality MP. (File photo)

 
"When an ordinary person by then would fall sick, the patient would be taken to the nearby health facility and in turn get treatment. That is no longer the case today," he argued.

Wamai added that whereas some parts of the country could be delighted, the situation in the Elgon sub-region; the hub of coffee, a Key foreign exchange for the country, still remains grim.

"For ages, the road networks have remained pathetic, especially during

rainy season.  This has remained a serious challenge to farmers in this mountainous terrain making it so expensive for them to ferry their yields  to the market," Wamani noted

What others say

Daphrose Kamagara, resident of Biguli village, Kamwenge district

Daphrose Kamagara, resident of Biguli village, Kamwenge district

 
There is freedom of expression. I think the ruling party is free to showcase what it has done and the opposition should equally give their bit.

Patrick Muwangala, resident of Buyende town, Buyende district

 
What NRM is doing now is starting to campaign as the rest of the parties have their hands tied because of COVID-19 presidential directives. Why not wait for the lockdown to end?

Compiled by: George Bita, Moses Nampala, Simon Ssekidde and Wilson Asiimwe