Amuriat pledges to disband UPDF activities on lakes

The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate, Patrick Oboi Amuriat, has said he will remove all military personnel deployed on lakes and replace them with fisheries officials once elected president.

Amuriat said the military is a tool of harassment that is being used by the Government to exclude citizens from earning a living, hence crippling them financially.

The Government, however, maintains that the measure is meant to curb illegal fishing.

The FDC presidential candidate made the remarks during campaigns in Rukungiri on Monday.

Rukungiri is also the home district of four-time presidential candidate Dr Col. Kizza Besigye.

"All Uganda People's Defence Forces personnel are going to be removed from the component of enforcement on the lake and replace them with fisheries officials," Amuirat said.

"I will also release prisoners held on account of being on the lake," he added.

Besigye influence

Perhaps it is also in Rukungiri that Amuriat received the most passionate reception in his bid to become president.

He thanked Besigye for mentoring him, adding that he now has the requisite experience to lead the country.

"I bring you greetings from Kizza Besigye, who could not be here with you today. I want to be president and this is not a surprise, because I have got good training from Besigye.

I have the experience. So on January 14, go vote the key," he said. Amuriat's every mention of Besigye's name stirred up emotions at his rallies and the ecstatic crowds repeated after his every gesture.

Cult status

In Rukungiri, Besigye enjoys a cult status despite turning down his party's request to contest in the 2021 presidential election. While he did not turn up at Amuriat's rallies in Rukungiri, his spirit was kept alive.

Music that blared from the public address system was Besigye's, with the four time presidential candidate's rendition Tooka Kwabalabala dominating the music interludes.

Amuriat's search for votes took him to Marumba, Nyarushanje, Rwebisoni and Rweshama at the border with the DR Congo.

He also asked his voters to elect only candidates standing on the FDC ticket.

"If there is any body standing as an independent, they ceased being members of the FDC," he said.

Recently, FDC expelled members standing as independent candidates after losing out in the primaries.

They include former head of the party's national mobilisation, Ingrid Turinawe. and Winnie Babihuga.