Uganda: Presidential Campaigns Officially Flagged Off

The political tempo is high as rival political party groups officially enter an aggressive campaign season as candidates seek votes for the Presidential slot in the East African Country of 40million people.

Justice Simon Byabakama the chairman for Ugandan Electoral Commission (EC) said Monday was the official commencement date for the presidential campaigns for the 2021 General Election which will end on January 12, 2021.

“Following the conclusion of nominations, the commission has appointed November 9 until January 12, 2021, for conducting campaign meetings across the country,” Justice Byabakama said.

11 Ugandans are the officially nominated Presidential candidates that were found with satisfactory requirements during a two-day exercise that was concluded last week.

Byabakama said this time-round, campaigns shall be village-based as opposed to holding rallies due to the coronavirus pandemic regulations set by the Ministry of Health.

Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni who waged a military campaign for five years and later toppling his former boss Milton Obote in 1986 is Uganda’s longest serving leader and is also seeking re-election as a flag bearer of his party National Resistance Movement (NRM).

According to NRM Party Secretary-General,Mrs. Justine Kasule Lumumba, Museveni will officially kick off campaigns by meeting his supporters  in the area where he launched a guerilla war that ousted Obote from Greater Luweero districts that include; Luweero Nakaseke and Nakasongola at Kawumu in Luweero.

“We get onto the campaign trail today. I will meet our NRM leaders from the Greater Luweero area and thereafter speak to our people through radio and TV,” Museveni said via twitter.

Museveni is facing stiff competition from musician turned politician Robert Kyagulanyi under his People power movement that embedded into the National Unity Platform party.

Kyagulanyi has produced an articulate manifesto saying, “We seek a transition from the 35-year long dictatorial regime to a people’s choice government through free and fair elections.”

The youthful politician is campaigning on an anti corruption ticket under which he claims the seating government has stolen too much and therefore, seeks to “Recover stolen resources from convicted corrupt individuals.”

Kyagulanyi has promised to increase the salaries of security personnel. Economists believe presidential hopeful Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu’s UGX 1 million salary pay for the lowest military officer is achievable. “Our soldiers, police officers and prisons officers live like beggers even when they do a lot of work,” Kyagulanyi noted.

His NUP party has summarized its objectives as seeking to have; People-Centred Governance II. Equal Access to Quality Education and Health Services III. Inclusive Economic Development IV.Land, Natural Resources & Environmental Protection V.National Security and International Relations.