Are Museveni’s tours really anti-poverty campaigns?
ON this week’s edition of the Vision Parliament on 94.8 FM. MPs Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri West), Jimmy Akena (Lira municipality), Margaret Muhanga (Kabarole woman), senior presidential adviser for the Youth in Northern Uganda Richard Tadwong and Tororo resident district commissioner Samuel Mpimbaza
ON this week’s edition of the Vision Parliament on 94.8 FM. MPs Nandala Mafabi (Budadiri West), Jimmy Akena (Lira municipality), Margaret Muhanga (Kabarole woman), senior presidential adviser for the Youth in Northern Uganda Richard Tadwong and Tororo resident district commissioner Samuel Mpimbaza Hashaka discussed whether President Yoweri Museveni’s national tours are really anti-poverty campaigns. Alfred Byenkya brings us their opinion.
Charles Odongtho (moderator): Hon. Hashaka, what is new in Tororo?
Hashaka: Tororo is fine. We are doing well, especially with the Bonna Bagaggawale Programme, which has registered a lot of success
Odongtho: Hon. Mafabi, President Museveni has been in the east, the north and now he is heading to the west. Is this the beginning of his campaign for a fourth term?
Mafabi: I think the President is campaigning to come back in 2011. If a president visits any place, he is supposed to visit as the president of the nation, not as the chairperson of the Movement. But when he came to my constituency, he was pictured holding an NRM T-shirt with a logo of the fourth term.
Fighting poverty should be for all Ugandans, not for the NRM only. The President should have talked as the leader of this country, but not to abuse members of the opposition. Instead of preaching against poverty, Museveni began calling constituencies represented by the FDC orphaned.
The President also gives people who have joined the Movement money. He should not use funds for the presidential pledge to attract opponents.
Muhanga: But the president might be splashing out his own cash which he gets from his salary.
Mafabi: No, I understand he gave his salary to fund the Movement Caucus. So, he uses tax-payers money to buy voters.
Muhanga: The President offered only 10% of his salary to the caucus. This amounts to only sh300,000.
Odongtho: Hon. Muhanga, in Bugisu, the people gave the President a seat with the logo of the fourth term. What does this mean?
Muhanga: President Museveni started the campaign to end household poverty. But wherever he went, people were chanting Fourth Term slogans like in Kasensero during a function to mark 25 years of HIV/Aids in Uganda. This shows that the people still want him to lead them. The President has also been involved in the fight against poverty. For example in Kabarole, 70% of the people have now come out of poverty. Ugandans should thank the President for his efforts. How many presidents have done what he does?
Odongtho: Tadwong, the President has been discussing security, income generation and land issues on his visits. Is it possible to distinguish between the anti-poverty campaign and a campaign for a fourth term?
Tadwongo: Fighting poverty is one of the pillars of the Movement and it is not only the President who is doing so. Even the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, and some ministers are also involved in the campaign. But the demand for the fourth term from the public is a sign of appreciation for the President’s good leadership.
We know the President is not yet campaigning because the NRM delegates conference has not yet sat to elect him as the person to stand on the NRM ticket. But what is wrong with him campaigning if it happened to be so. The opposition is also preparing for the 2011 elections.
Odongtho: Hashaka, what is wrong with the President campaigning for a fourth term?
Hashaka: Odongtho, I will first take you to the manifesto of the NRM government, which President Museveni signed in 1996. The manifesto says the Government has the right to fulfil all the programmes outlined in it, since it is the one in power. But it is wrong to say that the President segregates against the opposition. When the President was in the east, he chatted with opposition MPs and their supporters. The President is also sensitising people about the role of NAADS, so it would be unfair to say that he is campaigning for a fourth term.
On the issue of the President referring to constituencies represented by FDC MPs as orphaned, he was referring to opposition MPs who are not performing, yet they sabotage government programmes. The President instructed Hon. Beatrice Wabudeya to oversee such constituencies.
Odongtho: Hon. Mafabi, opposition MPs from Teso said they would work with the President if he was on an anti-poverty tour.
Mafabi: If he comes with issues of development, then we shall work together. But if he comes with his campaigns for a fourth term, we shall not work with him.
Odongtho: Muhanga, do you think the opposition has misunderstood President Museveni’s upcountry tours?
Muhanga: There is nothing wrong with the President touring the countryside. In fact, the local people, have understood his tours, but its politicians like Mafabi who are misleading the public.
Odongtho: Hon. Akena, you came in late. We are discussing President Museven’s up-country tours. Are they a poverty campaign or a campaign for a fourth term?
Akena: If he comes to Lira for anti-poverty campaigns, then I will attend because it would be for the good of the people. For example when he launched the peace and recovery programme in Lira, I attended. But if he is campaigning for presidency, then I will not come.
Odongtho: Let us give room for Hashaka to speak.
Hashaka: Museveni is both the President and chairperson of the NRM. So, wherever he goes, he goes in two capacities. It is unfortunate that members of the opposition even walked out of places where the President was invited. I urge MPs to stop this hopeless politics, which has reached an extent of even boycotting meeting with the President.
Odongtho: Tadwong, your last word?
Tadwong: The President is still moving around and there is nothing wrong with that.
Odongtho: Mafabi, your last word?
Mafabi: I am asking the presidential adviser, Tadwong, and Hashaka to stop mixing issues, so that we move on in a better way.
Akena: We should distinguish between party and government programmes. I will only attend government programmes, but not party programmes.
Muhanga: Last week, people said I am a rebel MP, others said I was looking for jobs. Where do people want me to belong?
Charles Odongtho (moderator): Hon. Hashaka, what is new in Tororo?
Hashaka: Tororo is fine. We are doing well, especially with the Bonna Bagaggawale Programme, which has registered a lot of success
Odongtho: Hon. Mafabi, President Museveni has been in the east, the north and now he is heading to the west. Is this the beginning of his campaign for a fourth term?
Mafabi: I think the President is campaigning to come back in 2011. If a president visits any place, he is supposed to visit as the president of the nation, not as the chairperson of the Movement. But when he came to my constituency, he was pictured holding an NRM T-shirt with a logo of the fourth term.
Fighting poverty should be for all Ugandans, not for the NRM only. The President should have talked as the leader of this country, but not to abuse members of the opposition. Instead of preaching against poverty, Museveni began calling constituencies represented by the FDC orphaned.
The President also gives people who have joined the Movement money. He should not use funds for the presidential pledge to attract opponents.
Muhanga: But the president might be splashing out his own cash which he gets from his salary.
Mafabi: No, I understand he gave his salary to fund the Movement Caucus. So, he uses tax-payers money to buy voters.
Muhanga: The President offered only 10% of his salary to the caucus. This amounts to only sh300,000.
Odongtho: Hon. Muhanga, in Bugisu, the people gave the President a seat with the logo of the fourth term. What does this mean?
Muhanga: President Museveni started the campaign to end household poverty. But wherever he went, people were chanting Fourth Term slogans like in Kasensero during a function to mark 25 years of HIV/Aids in Uganda. This shows that the people still want him to lead them. The President has also been involved in the fight against poverty. For example in Kabarole, 70% of the people have now come out of poverty. Ugandans should thank the President for his efforts. How many presidents have done what he does?
Odongtho: Tadwong, the President has been discussing security, income generation and land issues on his visits. Is it possible to distinguish between the anti-poverty campaign and a campaign for a fourth term?
Tadwongo: Fighting poverty is one of the pillars of the Movement and it is not only the President who is doing so. Even the Vice-President, Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, and some ministers are also involved in the campaign. But the demand for the fourth term from the public is a sign of appreciation for the President’s good leadership.
We know the President is not yet campaigning because the NRM delegates conference has not yet sat to elect him as the person to stand on the NRM ticket. But what is wrong with him campaigning if it happened to be so. The opposition is also preparing for the 2011 elections.
Odongtho: Hashaka, what is wrong with the President campaigning for a fourth term?
Hashaka: Odongtho, I will first take you to the manifesto of the NRM government, which President Museveni signed in 1996. The manifesto says the Government has the right to fulfil all the programmes outlined in it, since it is the one in power. But it is wrong to say that the President segregates against the opposition. When the President was in the east, he chatted with opposition MPs and their supporters. The President is also sensitising people about the role of NAADS, so it would be unfair to say that he is campaigning for a fourth term.
On the issue of the President referring to constituencies represented by FDC MPs as orphaned, he was referring to opposition MPs who are not performing, yet they sabotage government programmes. The President instructed Hon. Beatrice Wabudeya to oversee such constituencies.
Odongtho: Hon. Mafabi, opposition MPs from Teso said they would work with the President if he was on an anti-poverty tour.
Mafabi: If he comes with issues of development, then we shall work together. But if he comes with his campaigns for a fourth term, we shall not work with him.
Odongtho: Muhanga, do you think the opposition has misunderstood President Museveni’s upcountry tours?
Muhanga: There is nothing wrong with the President touring the countryside. In fact, the local people, have understood his tours, but its politicians like Mafabi who are misleading the public.
Odongtho: Hon. Akena, you came in late. We are discussing President Museven’s up-country tours. Are they a poverty campaign or a campaign for a fourth term?
Akena: If he comes to Lira for anti-poverty campaigns, then I will attend because it would be for the good of the people. For example when he launched the peace and recovery programme in Lira, I attended. But if he is campaigning for presidency, then I will not come.
Odongtho: Let us give room for Hashaka to speak.
Hashaka: Museveni is both the President and chairperson of the NRM. So, wherever he goes, he goes in two capacities. It is unfortunate that members of the opposition even walked out of places where the President was invited. I urge MPs to stop this hopeless politics, which has reached an extent of even boycotting meeting with the President.
Odongtho: Tadwong, your last word?
Tadwong: The President is still moving around and there is nothing wrong with that.
Odongtho: Mafabi, your last word?
Mafabi: I am asking the presidential adviser, Tadwong, and Hashaka to stop mixing issues, so that we move on in a better way.
Akena: We should distinguish between party and government programmes. I will only attend government programmes, but not party programmes.
Muhanga: Last week, people said I am a rebel MP, others said I was looking for jobs. Where do people want me to belong?