Campaigners ask Sitenda to apologize and seek reconciliation

May 17, 2017

“Many people were aggrieved and hurt over several issues, go back and apologize to them and ask them to unite and rally behind you,” said Elly Ssesanga Kamya, one of the NRM local leaders.

Campaigners have asked Sitenda Ssebalu, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) flag bearer in the Kyadondo East bye-election to apologize and seek reconciliation with his foes to avoid dividing his votes.

The NRM supporters insisted that the party would have won the constituency with a big margin in the 2016 general elections had all the NRM supporters rallied behind him.

"Many people were aggrieved and hurt over several issues, go back and apologize to them and ask them to unite and rally behind you," said Elly Ssesanga Kamya, one of the NRM local leaders.

This was recently during a consultative meeting for campaigners, Sub County and Town Council party chairpersons and polling agents who gathered at Ssebalu's home in Kasangati to celebrate his court victory and to kick-start his campaign for the coming bye-election.

Ssebalu who lost to forum for Democratic Change (FDC)'s Apollo Kantinti successfully sued the Electoral Commission over election malpractices. Both the high court and court of appeal cancelled the election outcome and ordered for a re-run, which is due next month.

Ssesanga said that many NRM agents were not paid after the elections, plus supporters who missed out on the Operation Wealth Creation projects.

"Reach out to the elders and party sympathizers who never supported you in the last elections, apologize to those you hurt let them join our camp," he said.

The other campaigners said the coming election was not only about Ssebalu but a battle between the ruling NRM and FDC since Dr. Kizza Besigye, the former presidential flag bearer for the main opposition party lives in the constituency.

They asked Ssebalu to woo Stella Njuba, who contested on an Independent ticket in the elections, to his side to be able to win more support from those who voted for his opponents.

Ssebalu told the campaigners that he would not start his campaigns before clearing the 54 party polling agents who had never been paid their allowances since the elections.

He introduced Lawrence Mayanja, the Nangabo sub county NRM chairperson who was Njuba's lead campaigner, saying him and others who oppose him had decided to join him before the kickoff of campaigns.

He asked President Yoweri Museveni, the party chairman, to consider tarmacking the Kira-Kasangati-Matugga road, which he said passes via Dr. Besigye's home in Masooli, which he said would demonstrate that the regime's development projects benefited all, including the opposition.

He said he would ask Museveni to consider creating a land fund, which he said would enable government to pay off the Kabaka of Buganda and enable the tenants acquire free hold titles and save them from the ‘Kyapa-mungalo' scheme.

Sumiini Nabagereka, Presidential assistant on mobilization asked supporters to avoid accusing and fighting each other in order to remain one force.

She said that the misunderstandings and in-house fighting in other political parties should not be reflected in the ruling party, which she said should be leading in all sectors.

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