Museveni mishandled pandemic, says Amuriat

Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate Patrick Amuriat Oboi has asked Ugandans to punish President Yoweri Museveni for allegedly mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic, by voting him out of office in the forthcoming general election.

While addressing party supporters at Koboko Municipal Boma ground in Koboko Municipality, on Saturday, November 21, Amuriat said President Museveni had diverted to buying bicycles for National Resistance Movement (NRM) village chairpersons, motorcycles for the party officials in sub-counties and vehicles for chairpersons, instead of focusing on fighting the pandemic.

"There is a lack of honesty in the current regime. The other day, Museveni collected money from the business community, ordinary Ugandans, donors and borrowed money meant to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. All we saw were rotten beans distributed in Kampala and Wakiso. Not even a single kilogramme of maize flour reached Koboko," he said.

Amuriat arrived in Koboko in the company of Obongi County MP Hassan Kaps Fungaroo, FDC parliamentary candidate for Koboko North Oscar Rasul and Candiga Gaddafi of Aringa County in Yumbe district. He arrived in Koboko at about 4:30 pm.

Security was deployed on some of the major streets of Koboko Municipality, but the campaigns ended peacefully. Amuriat promised to end the exploitation of West Nile's forest resources in Zoka and Kei forests in Adjumani and  Koboko districts.

He also promised to increase salaries for the uniformed men and compensate the ex-combatants of the Uganda National Rescue Front, West Nile Bank front and the Uganda army.

He promised to reduce on maternal deaths, make education accessible to all Ugandans, irrespective of their financial status and support every homestead with sh100,000 for six consecutive months, starting May next year, to cope up with the post-COVID-19 lockdown effects.

Fungaroo accused the NRM government of being discriminative in appointments and resource allocation. "West Nile does not have a single Cabinet minister.

What we have are deputy ministers, even our old man, Moses Ali is a deputy prime minister," he noted. Rasul told the people of Koboko to vote for ideas and not colours.

He attributed the high level of poverty that the region is experiencing to the harsh government conditions that benefit only a few.

"You go to the border, a poor man on a bicycle or motorcycle is arrested and his things taken, but somebody who has money turns up with a vehicle, drives freely and makes money. This is what  I am going to fight," he said.

Voters react

Rukia Medina, resident of Arumaji cell in Koboko South division: Women suffer during labour. Voters in Koboko should support Amuriat so that he accomplishes what he has promised.

Archimedes Hakim, DLC contestant in Lobule sub county: Amuriat is a good man. He looks at a human being as a human being and likes to judge everyone fairly. I think he is the right man to lead.

Alone Zabib, aspiring female DLC in Koboko North division: People should support the opposition because the poor health services, coupled with inadequate infrastructure, empty promises and high level of unemployment among youth and women, will be dealt with.