Calm in Kasese as residents wait for Mao

ELECTIONS 2021

In Kasese municipality on Wednesday it was business as usual as the Democratic Party candidate turned up for campaigns.

At Kasese central police station several police officers were carrying out their duties normally save for the few roadblocks along the Fort Portal-Kasese high way where security was checking passengers to ensure that they comply with the COVID-19 standard operating procedures.

Mao who was scheduled to launch his campaigns with a media briefing in Kasese town by 2:30pm had not yet arrived in the town."We expect Mao to campaign in Kasese but we don't have his program am not sure if he will even turn up," said Gilbert Byaruhanga, a DP supporter in Kasese.

Bernadette Businge the DP Parliamentary candidate for Busongora south in Kasese district said that they had been cleared by the security to carry out their activities in the district. "We expect our president to campaign in Kasese for two days we have been cleared and we are ready for the campaigns," Businge said. Innocent Bwambale a resident of Nyakasanga in Nyamwamba division said that they were doing their work normally and they didn't know that Mao was scheduled to be in Kasese.

"Am not aware that he is supposed to be in Kasese there was no mobilization that was conducted we are only seeing candidates vying for Parliamentary positions," Bwambale said. He however said that he expects Mao to address the challenge of tribal conflicts which have rocked the district for very many years. "We need total peace in Kasese district because over the years many people have died due to tribal conflicts and land wrangles," Bwambale said.

He said  due to the increasing land wrangles many people have been left landless while others are battling court cases. Kasese is predominantly a strong hold of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and all the five Members of Parliament subscribe to FDC. Kasese district was formed in 1974 under the Provincial Administration of Rwenzori district that was curved out of Kabarole district.

Over the years FDC has enjoyed the majority of the support in Kasese under Kiiza Besigye who got 65% of the votes. D P has been struggling to field candidates for different political positions and only one candidate has been nominated on the DP ticket for the Busongora South Parliamentary seat. Dr.Crispus Kiyonga, the NRM district chairman, says the party is working hard, to make sure they regain all the parliamentary seats and for the NRM party chairman Yoweri Museveni to win in Kasese.