New strategy: How NRM will campaign in 70,626 villages

ELECTION WATCH | NRM 

The National Resistance Movement (NRM), has Saturday started rolling out Village-Based mobilization campaign programme.

There are 7 0,626 villages around the country. How will this strategy work?

The Party's Secretary General Kasule Lumumba, in a guiding document to the party leaders lays out a plan for this.

She says, "The campaigns for the NRM flag bearers for the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Governments elections has been designed strategically to be village-based, where emphasis will be placed on the "Kakuyege" mode of mobilization."

Lumumba adds that this means that it will be, "A village to village; door to door; house to house and person to person; kind of campaign."

She explains, "This will be done in the village households, places of work like factories, arcades, markets, boda boda stages, taxi and bus parks, salons, rolex makers, the services institutions like banks, insurances, and telecommunication companies."

She says that the other places may include working places of interest like the education institutions such as primary, secondary schools, and tertiary institutions including colleges and universities."

She explains that the option of having the usual mode of electioneering and campaigns that involved massive political allies, processions and fanfare, "Is not possible during this election cycle, mainly due to the devastating dangers posed by COVID-19 pandemic."

She says that the party and all its leaders must "walk the talk" and take a leaf from His Excellency, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, in conducting "scientific" campaigns in strict conformity with the electoral guidelines.

She adds, "The NRM campaign structure is thus tailored to address the threats generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, by strictly observing all the relevant guidelines and regulations, while at the same time taking full advantage of the elaborate mass party structures countrywide, to ensure overwhelming victory for the NRM."

Lumumba says the village campaigns process will start with the regional convergence briefing meetings for district NRM chairpersons, secretaries of finance and district administrative secretaries in the various NRM regions.

This will be followed on Sunday, with District Convergence briefing meetings by NRM District Chairpersons for NRM District/City Executive Committees (12), flag bearers for MPs, LCVs and Municipal/City Division Mayors and NRM Municipality Executive Committees (12).

On Wednesday next week, there will be Sub County Convergence briefings by NRM Sub County Chairpersons; for NRM Sub County Executive Committees, Parish NRM Chairpersons, Sub County Councilors and flag bearers and the Branch Chairpersons.

Next Saturday, it is when the Village meetings will be held, followed by compilation of feed on Thursday December 10, and later on December 16 will be the transmission of districts reports to the Centre.