Why Bunyoro will vote for Museveni
Dec 30, 2010
IN a few weeks time, Ugandans will be voting for the next president; and so, presidential candidates are traversing the country looking for votes.
Amlan Tumusiime
IN a few weeks time, Ugandans will be voting for the next president; and so, presidential candidates are traversing the country looking for votes.
Candidates Kiiza Besigye (Inter-party Cooperation), Beti Kamya (Uganda Federal Alliance), Olara Otunnu (Uganda People’s Congress) and Democatic Party’s Norbert Mao have already campaigned in Bunyoro and promised to offer better services to the people than the incumbent, Yoweri Museveni, has done.
Museveni is expected to take his campaign to Bunyoro in mid-January.
Besigye is convinced that the Banyoro will vote for him this time round.
Some media houses have also reported that Besigye has more support in Bunyoro than Museveni. However, this is not true.
In my opinion, the Banyoro will vote for Museveni because he has delivered better services and fulfilled the pledges he made to them during 2006 campaigns
As a journalist working with Radio Hoima, I covered President Museveni’s campaigns in 2006. Even then, I remember Besigye claiming that Museveni was making empty promises. But Museveni has fulfilled most of the promises.
They include the extension of power from Mubende to Kagadi town council in 2008 and the provision of safe water in Mabaale and Muhoro townships, following the establishment of a gravity water scheme.
The Banyoro are also happy with President Museveni because of the two new districts he has granted them in the last five years. The creation of Buliisa and Kiryandongo districts, which were curved out of Masindi district, has brought services closer to the people and created employment opportunities for the residents.
Museveni is also still in the process of fulfilling some of the pledges he made during the last campaigns. For example, he promised to build a modern market in Hoima. Plans have been finalised for the construction of the sh4b market and work will start in February.
The Buseruka power project is also expected to begin supplying power early next year. This is another promise that Museveni made in 2006.
I recently participated in a political radio talk-show in Hoima town and many Banyoro called in singing praises for President Museveni and promising to give him their vote in 2011 as a way of thanking him for elevating Hoima and Masindi town councils to municipal level.
The streets have already been tarmacked in the two municipalities and street lights have been installed using the funds the Central Government is remitting to these local governments.
I also visited Kakumiro in Kibaale district and the residents were excited about the creation of the two new counties of Buyaga west and Bugangaizi west to ease tribal tensions. They told me that they were happy with Museveni for the move because there is peace in the area and parliamentary candidates are now campaigning peacefully unlike in the 2001 and 2006 elections.
The residents now believe that Museveni was serious when he said he had a solution for the problems in Kibaale.
The new developments in Bunyoro have opened up more employment opportunities and the Banyoro now have access to better services. And because of that, many Banyoro have promised to vote for president Yoweri Museveni come 2011. They also appeal to the Government to pay the absentee land lords so that they can re possess their land.
The writer is the chairman of the Keep NRM Alive Bunyoro Task Force
IN a few weeks time, Ugandans will be voting for the next president; and so, presidential candidates are traversing the country looking for votes.
Candidates Kiiza Besigye (Inter-party Cooperation), Beti Kamya (Uganda Federal Alliance), Olara Otunnu (Uganda People’s Congress) and Democatic Party’s Norbert Mao have already campaigned in Bunyoro and promised to offer better services to the people than the incumbent, Yoweri Museveni, has done.
Museveni is expected to take his campaign to Bunyoro in mid-January.
Besigye is convinced that the Banyoro will vote for him this time round.
Some media houses have also reported that Besigye has more support in Bunyoro than Museveni. However, this is not true.
In my opinion, the Banyoro will vote for Museveni because he has delivered better services and fulfilled the pledges he made to them during 2006 campaigns
As a journalist working with Radio Hoima, I covered President Museveni’s campaigns in 2006. Even then, I remember Besigye claiming that Museveni was making empty promises. But Museveni has fulfilled most of the promises.
They include the extension of power from Mubende to Kagadi town council in 2008 and the provision of safe water in Mabaale and Muhoro townships, following the establishment of a gravity water scheme.
The Banyoro are also happy with President Museveni because of the two new districts he has granted them in the last five years. The creation of Buliisa and Kiryandongo districts, which were curved out of Masindi district, has brought services closer to the people and created employment opportunities for the residents.
Museveni is also still in the process of fulfilling some of the pledges he made during the last campaigns. For example, he promised to build a modern market in Hoima. Plans have been finalised for the construction of the sh4b market and work will start in February.
The Buseruka power project is also expected to begin supplying power early next year. This is another promise that Museveni made in 2006.
I recently participated in a political radio talk-show in Hoima town and many Banyoro called in singing praises for President Museveni and promising to give him their vote in 2011 as a way of thanking him for elevating Hoima and Masindi town councils to municipal level.
The streets have already been tarmacked in the two municipalities and street lights have been installed using the funds the Central Government is remitting to these local governments.
I also visited Kakumiro in Kibaale district and the residents were excited about the creation of the two new counties of Buyaga west and Bugangaizi west to ease tribal tensions. They told me that they were happy with Museveni for the move because there is peace in the area and parliamentary candidates are now campaigning peacefully unlike in the 2001 and 2006 elections.
The residents now believe that Museveni was serious when he said he had a solution for the problems in Kibaale.
The new developments in Bunyoro have opened up more employment opportunities and the Banyoro now have access to better services. And because of that, many Banyoro have promised to vote for president Yoweri Museveni come 2011. They also appeal to the Government to pay the absentee land lords so that they can re possess their land.
The writer is the chairman of the Keep NRM Alive Bunyoro Task Force