NRM leading, says Museveni
Jan 05, 2006
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said the NRM party is in the lead in the current campaigns having got five of its candidates nominated unopposed as LC5 chairmen.
By Henry Mukasa
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said the NRM party is in the lead in the current campaigns having got five of its candidates nominated unopposed as LC5 chairmen.
He said in the coming parliamentary candidates’ nominations, the NRM will have more candidates nominated unopposed. He said this showed that the Movement was more dominant in these districts and other parties could not field candidates.
He said the Movement had captured Kisoro, Mbarara, Isingiro, Kihurura and Ibanda. “Our (Movement) chairmen were elected unopposed so we have already captured five districts. Their kisanja (reference to Museveni’s third term bid) has started. Neither DP nor UPC could get candidates but I don’t see it in your newspapers,†Museveni told journalists at an impromptu press conference at State Lodge Mbarara before travelling to Kanungu district and Kinkizi in the evening.
“For these district chairmen, it is final. Five districts are already in my pocket,†he said while dipping his hand in his pocket. “I am already a rich man with five districts,†he said.
Museveni arrived for the Kanungu rally led by boda-boda cyclists.
He commissioned a project for extending electricity to Kanungu that will cost sh11.7b.
Energy minister Syda Bbumba said the 84km-stretch powerline would last six months. She said National Construction Company of Saudi Arabia won the tender out of the 11 bidders.
Bbumba said Kayonza Tea Factory contributed sh350m while Kanungu district contributed sh150m for the project. She said the construction was not a campaign bait because it had been in the ministry’s budget.
“The President is performing his executive function (to inaugurate) and at the rally he will be performing his role as a candidate,†she said.
Museveni said the Movement came to power when there was scarcity of goods, no roads, no power, no hospitals, no fuel, rundown schools but they had been turned around.
“Support us to return to power. Don’t mix FDC and NRM. Vote for only Movement candidates so that we are uniform,†he said.
He said Uganda needed a strong but flexible leader and described himself as a chain, which though soft, is strong. He said he would give pigs and heifers to organised farmers.
He promised to tarmac the Rukungiri-Kanungu road.
Defence minister Amama Mbabazi, who is also the district Movement chairman and MP for Kinkizi East, said the crowd that welcomed Col. Kizza Besigye when he visited the district were spectators and not his supporters.
“Besigye came here, people were photographed and their pictures taken to Kampala. When they reached there, they said FDC has taken Kanungu.
“A few days ago I asked them, ‘Did you go to Besigye?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ I asked, “Did you join FDC?’ They said, ‘No, we just went to see Besigye.
“Besigye has spectators, they just come to see him but they are not his supporters. Kanungu is for NRM,†he said.
The second rally was in Kihihi, Kinkizi East where Museveni arrived at 5:10pm. The speeches were cut to beat the electoral law that requires rallies to end at 6:00pm.
The mammoth crowd braved a downpour to listen to Museveni.
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has said the NRM party is in the lead in the current campaigns having got five of its candidates nominated unopposed as LC5 chairmen.
He said in the coming parliamentary candidates’ nominations, the NRM will have more candidates nominated unopposed. He said this showed that the Movement was more dominant in these districts and other parties could not field candidates.
He said the Movement had captured Kisoro, Mbarara, Isingiro, Kihurura and Ibanda. “Our (Movement) chairmen were elected unopposed so we have already captured five districts. Their kisanja (reference to Museveni’s third term bid) has started. Neither DP nor UPC could get candidates but I don’t see it in your newspapers,†Museveni told journalists at an impromptu press conference at State Lodge Mbarara before travelling to Kanungu district and Kinkizi in the evening.
“For these district chairmen, it is final. Five districts are already in my pocket,†he said while dipping his hand in his pocket. “I am already a rich man with five districts,†he said.
Museveni arrived for the Kanungu rally led by boda-boda cyclists.
He commissioned a project for extending electricity to Kanungu that will cost sh11.7b.
Energy minister Syda Bbumba said the 84km-stretch powerline would last six months. She said National Construction Company of Saudi Arabia won the tender out of the 11 bidders.
Bbumba said Kayonza Tea Factory contributed sh350m while Kanungu district contributed sh150m for the project. She said the construction was not a campaign bait because it had been in the ministry’s budget.
“The President is performing his executive function (to inaugurate) and at the rally he will be performing his role as a candidate,†she said.
Museveni said the Movement came to power when there was scarcity of goods, no roads, no power, no hospitals, no fuel, rundown schools but they had been turned around.
“Support us to return to power. Don’t mix FDC and NRM. Vote for only Movement candidates so that we are uniform,†he said.
He said Uganda needed a strong but flexible leader and described himself as a chain, which though soft, is strong. He said he would give pigs and heifers to organised farmers.
He promised to tarmac the Rukungiri-Kanungu road.
Defence minister Amama Mbabazi, who is also the district Movement chairman and MP for Kinkizi East, said the crowd that welcomed Col. Kizza Besigye when he visited the district were spectators and not his supporters.
“Besigye came here, people were photographed and their pictures taken to Kampala. When they reached there, they said FDC has taken Kanungu.
“A few days ago I asked them, ‘Did you go to Besigye?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ I asked, “Did you join FDC?’ They said, ‘No, we just went to see Besigye.
“Besigye has spectators, they just come to see him but they are not his supporters. Kanungu is for NRM,†he said.
The second rally was in Kihihi, Kinkizi East where Museveni arrived at 5:10pm. The speeches were cut to beat the electoral law that requires rallies to end at 6:00pm.
The mammoth crowd braved a downpour to listen to Museveni.