Security chiefs, NRM bosses warned on 'People Power craze'

POLITICS

As the country, warms up for the forthcoming general elections, district security chiefs and National Resistance Movement (NRM) leaders must be creative in their handling of the ‘People Power craze', the Office of the President has warned.

While addressing resident district commissioners (RDCs) and district internal security officers (DISOs) from central Buganda region in Wakiso district on Thursday, Yunus Kakande, the secretary at the Office of the President, cautioned the security chiefs against laxity in dealing with the pressure group.

 Kakande described the emergence of People Power as a peculiar issue that requires undivided energies to confront what he called a new challenge in the electoral history of Uganda, especially in urban areas. "This pressure group represents an unknown quantity of unruly youth that need to be handled sensitively," Kakande told the officials during a meeting held at Essela Country Hotel in Kira municipality.

 NRM district chairpersons from Buganda region also attended the event. Similar engagements have been made in Busoga and in the eastern region. The schedule for other regions will be released soon.

Kakande said the Opposition has for decades tried to unseat the President and failed because of his personality, charisma and an unblemished record. He said part of the winning strategy has been the use of structures and networks to connect NRM candidates to voters.

"But there is also another reason, nine out of 10 times, the Opposition focuses their energy in the urban centres, where they enjoy more support. "The NRM, however, focuses on the rural areas, where it is easier to control the information that citizens receive and their access to public services.

With 76% of Uganda's population living and working in rural areas, this is a winning strategy," Kakande explained. With this advantage, Kakande said there was need for RDCs, DISOs and NRM district chairpersons to work hard to secure the elections and victory for the President and NRM flag-bearers in the urban districts, especially Kampala.

This, he said, would only be achieved through teamwork and developing a code of conduct, corresponding strategies, communication structures and mechanisms by channelling pro-NRM information to the population.

With the country preparing for elections amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, RDCs are required to sensitise the public about the electoral processes by carefully studying the guidelines for the campaign period to safeguard all those participating in the electoral process from the risk of contracting COVID-19.

Esther Mbayo, the Minister for the Presidency, said district leaders need to work together with the youth, despite their provocative nature.

The minister said the meeting was meant to build capacity among the leaders in supervising and implementing of government programmes as well as sensitising the masses on its various projects. Mbayo reminded the cadres to learn how to solve their problems internally, particularly in this election period.

She said whereas some RDCs were reported to be absent from their offices, others were caught de-campaigning government programmes, a move that does not sit well with the appointing authority. "Let us put our differences aside and work together because bickering, intrigue and sabotage is what is killing NRM. Instead, focus on popularising what the Government has achieved and what more it can do," Mbayo said.

 RDCS RAISE THEIR CONCERNS
Some of the issues raised during the meeting were the implementation of the Emyooga programme and limited funding for the leaders. Herbert Burora, the deputy resident city commissioner for Nakawa, said the technical wing at the Kampala Capital City Authority excluded them in the implementation of Emyooga, arguing that mandate was given to RDCs to popularise the programme.

Fred Nayebare, the Nakaseke RDC, said while they were given the opportunity to appear on radio stations to speak about government programmes, most of them have since gone commercial and want payment before appearing on any talk shows. Napoleon Ssebulime Kyeyune, the NRM chairperson for Gomba district, cited land grabbing as the central challenge in his the area.

Fred Bamwine, the RDC for Mukono, called for the reinstatement of Local Defence Unit personnel to help enforce the COVID-19 guidelines and standard operating procedures, arguing that many people had become lax.