The National Resistance Movement (NRM) presidential candidate Yoweri Museveni has urged the people of Dokolo to support the party and maintain the rapid development.

Museveni, who was addressing a series of rallies in Dokolo North, Dokolo South, Erute North and Erute South Constituencies, said it is only the NRM Government that has the capacity to maintain peace, unity and development in Uganda.

Museveni also said the NRM has promoted East African Unity and the rest of Africa because it needs the market for Uganda’s goods and services, and added that the party has identified more markets in countries such as China and India.

Speaking at Iguli Primary School, Dokolo North, Museveni said Ugandans are aggressively demanding for seedlings and good animal breeds to improve their incomes.

“Having woken up and engaging in production we need to identify the market. The NRM Government has worked for East African unity and the African Union because it needs the market.” He observed that Uganda today produces 4 million tons of maize per annum as compared to only 200,000 tons produced in 1986. He observed that out of this the country consumes only one million tons. He was happy to note that the maize produced is consumed by the neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

And at Agwen Primary School, Ogur sub county in Erute North, Museveni revealed that the government has been allocating five billion shillings per annum as compensation for cattle lost during the insurgency. He added that having made good progress with road construction, sufficient funds would soon be available with to enhance the cattle program.

The NRM flag Bearer further told the gathering that the NRM Government ushered in peace, which was the main foundation for the development and added that the peace we were enjoying today was a result of building a strong national army.

President Museveni revealed that the Government has allocated Sh 70bn this financial year towards the veterans’ fund and revealed that the women’s fund has been allocated Shs 7bn this year with an assurance that more funds would be availed soon.

The President said during the past 5 years the NRM has used 15,000 billion for the construction of roads and this has enabled the country to build all the major roads.

According to Museveni, the building of good roads and provision of electricity and water would attract more industries and create employment for the people of Lira.

He called on the electorate to vote for him and all the NRM flag bearers during the general elections.

“I am very happy to be here and to campaign for our party the NRM.

The NRM is like a rich man. It is easy to speak about a rich man because everybody will know who he is and what he has done. Everybody knows who is a rich man is in the village,” he said.

Museveni said when the NRM got a chance to come to government; they fought sectarianism and championed unity.

“When you have common problems you must have common efforts to solve them. If am suffering from malaria, I get coartem. Same coartem that you give a man or woman, Christians or Muslims. You can’t have coartem for Muslims alone or Christians. Fortunately, you listened to us. Ugandans listened to message of no change,” he said.

The President hailed the people of Lango for consistently voting NRM and urged them to vote ‘the Old man with a hat’.

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Ethiopia will host the Aid and Development Forum Africa Summit next year, focusing on technological innovations and best practices to improve aid delivery in East Africa. The February 2-3 summit to be held at the United Nations Conference Centre will bring together more than 250 senior officials from diverse backgrounds including government, the civil society organisations and
private sector. Key speakers include the UNDP Resident Representative in Kenya Nardos Bekele –Thomas; Dr Chukwudozie Ezigbalike of the Economic Commission of Africa, Dr Sharad Sapra of Unicef, Christopher Hoffman of the World Vision and Rishi Ramrakha of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The delegates will at the Summit will review case studies and also hold panel discussions, workshops, and interactive roundtable
sessions. ‘AIDF Africa Summit 2016 will provide comprehensive overview of the latest trends around humanitarian logistics, community health, WASH, security of aid workers and communities, camp management, mobile for development, financing, communication with communities and among aid agencies’ a release by the Africa Press Organisation (APO) states in
part.

According to the release, for 13 years the AIDF has, among others, partnered with several humanitarian and development organisations including the WFP, IFRC, World Vision, USAID, UNICEF Save the Children and the World Bank to carry on its mandate. Other partnering organisations include Oxfam, Habitat for Humanity, UN Habitat, CRS, FHI360 and the IRD.

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Government to focus on income generation

 President Yoweri Museveni who is also the National Resistance Movement Presidential flag bearer has described his party’s liberation struggle for Uganda as a long journey that started when the country was ungovernable.

“When we talk of NRM and Uganda, we talk about a long journey. It started when our country was ungovernable. The NRM has been on a journey with Uganda. We don’t ask whether we go forward or backwards. When the journey is long, some people get tired and get off. Besigye left us when we were fighting Kony in 2012. For Mbabazi, it is even laughable. That we go forward! We have been going forward for the last 50 years. The issue is should we continue or fall off,” he said.

President Museveni who was accompanied by the Hon. First Lady Janet Museveni, today address mammoth rallies in Luwero region the pinnacle of the bush war struggle that eventually brought peace to Uganda. Addressing a rally at Zirobwe Town Council, Bamunanika, Museveni rallied thousands of supporters to vote NRM, a party that liberated Uganda and ushered in peace and security, caused minimum economic recovery, rehabilitated and developed the country overtime. He said it was the only political organization that will lead the country to transformation and prosperity.

Museveni said that NRM has taken Uganda through development phases and was on a verge of transforming the country into a modern country and asked the electorate to give the party their mandate so as to complete this transformation process.

He said the movement government fought sectarianism of all kinds, marginalization of the youth, women and the disabled among others.

“The Movement believes that any one who promotes sectarianism is evil and satanic and should be shunned,” he said.

He said that because of the limited resources, government has been prioritizing and implementing government projects and programs in the order of their national importance. He noted that emphasis was first put on defense and security, health through immunization that resulted into rapid population growth from 14 million in 1986 to 38 million today, education through the UPE and USE programs, roads and electricity the reason the country has performed better in these particular sectors.

Mr. Museveni said that during the new term, more emphasis will be put on fighting household poverty through increased budgeting and funding of the wealth creation campaign, payment of the veteran pension and job creation.

On the reported eviction of bibanja holders by the landlords, the President instructed the Resident District Commissioner Luwero to stop the unlawful eviction of the bibanja holders as the law prohibits such unlawful evictions.

On unemployment, the President said that this will be solved by industrializing the country and adding value to the country’s agricultural produce as well as extending micro-credit support to women and youth groups.

At Makulubita Seed Secondary School in Katikamu Sub county, Candidate Museveni pointed out the numerous NRM achievements and assured the people that with the increased tax base more priorities including income generation are going to be done.

On education, President Museveni noted that with NRM Universal Primary and Secondary education every child can afford to go to school. He however called for skills education for the youth to be able to fit in the current job demand.

He urged Ugandans to continue supporting and vote NRM in the forthcoming elections for continued development.

At Kasana open grounds in Luwero, reiterated his government’s policy to prioritize projects to improve household incomes by investing more money in the NAADS programme.

“There is a huge thirst and demand for seedlings and improved breeds by the people. We are now going to put more money in NAADs like we did for the roads,” he said.

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Seven of the eight nominated presidential candidates have today begun their campaigns, with all of them promising to deliver services that will turn around the peoples’ lives. Incumbent Yoweri Museveni has kicked off his campaigns in Nakaseke, Luweero; opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) flag bearer Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye in his home area of Rukungiri, while John Patrick Amama Mbabazi of The Democratic Alliance (TDA) Go Forward faction is holding his first rally in Masaka.

According to the campaign schedule issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joseph Mabirizi and Maureen Faith Kyalya Waluube are camping in eastern Uganda, while former Makerere University Vice Chancellor Venansius Baryamureba will be campaigning in Kayunga District.

By press time it was not yet clear where the eighth candidate, Maj Gen (rtd) Benon Biraro Buta, was set to begin his campaigns. Meanwhile, Independent presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi’s campaign team has faulted the authorities in Masaka for interfering with their candidate’s inaugural rally. The Go Forward team was expected to hold its first campaign rally at Mayors Gardens in town but, according to Mathias Mpuuga, the head of the Mbabazi campaign mobilization task force, the rally was switched to the Golf Course on the directives of the police.

Mpuuga also alleged that authorities in Masaka led the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (D/RDC) Joseph Ssekasamba and District Police Commander (DPC) Moses Kakira supervised the defacing of Mbabazi’s posters in the area over the weekend. But Ssekasamba denied the allegations, saying those making the claims were seeking for cheap political capital.

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Forum Democratic Change yesterday launched its 2016 presidential election campaign task force, forming what they have dubbed Power 10 (P10).

This is a group ten mobilisers at parish level to drum up support for the party’s flag-bearer Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye right from the grassroots level.

According to the party’s spokesperson Ssemuju Nganda, Dr Besigye has previously been accused of concentrating on mobilizing support in the urban areas, something that will now change under the new system that will see FDC groups canvass for votes from villages – door-to-door.

Ssemujju was supported by Dr Besigye, who said whoever wants change should belong to the P10 starting from the parish level.

“Each of the P10 members is obliged to raise another 10 people to multiply the force of grassroots mobilisers,” Besigye said at the FDC headquarters in Najjanankumbi on Sunday.

Dr Besigye emphasized that the coordinator of P10 must have a list of all the members in the group for purposes of planning and coordination, adding  that a copy of the P10 will be kept at the FDC headquarters.

“Our political teams will come from the top to bottom. All campaigns are won at the grassroots. That’s where our people should focus if we are to win this election,” said Besigye.

The flamboyant retired colonel said that casting the vote is nothing but a mere fraction of regaining power.

“We must build from the grassroots level with a strong network,” he urged the FDC leaders.

Recently the National Electoral Commission announced that presidential campaigns will kick off on Monday and Dr Besigye is set to hold his first rally in his birthplace of Rukungiri.

According to the FDC, its National Chairman Ambassador Waswa Birigwa Ssekyondwa will head the task force, deputized by Kamuli district Chairperson Ms Proscovia Salaam Musumba.

MP Geoffrey Ekanya will head the field team, assisted by Patrick Baguma, Joyce Sebugwawo, Nandala Mafabi, lawyer Yusuf Nsibambi  and Chaapa Karuhanga.

Candidates on the Special Mobilisation Team  are Erias Lukwago (Head) Gen David Sejusa, Ken Lukyamuzi, Moses Kasibante and Shifrah Lukwago

Maj John Kazoora, Kevina Taaka,  Cecilia Ogwal, Nabilah Naggayi Ssempala and Ingrid Turinawe are part of the candidate’s team and  will be moving on the candidate’s campaign trail, while Augustine Ruzindana and Col (rtd) Amanya Mushega are campaign advisors.

The FDC flag bearer explained that the campaign season “will be like war,” and called upon members to sacrifice all they can to make this campaign a success.

“We were driven by a purpose and it’s from that purpose that we drew internal strength to fight. Our commitment must remain firm,” Besigye stressed, and warned against lack of transparency, which he said would give the rivals ammunition to fight the FDC.

He also warned his team against attacking other opposition figures, saying “we will lose the bigger picture.”

He reiterated that the 2016 process “is no ordinary campaign. It’s a campaign of defiance; a campaign for people to regain their power.”

The retired Colonel also announced the splitting of campaign forces into two units – with the political team tasked with mobilization and organization while the technical team will deal with communicating the FDC’s message.

Besigye, who has lost thrice lost to incumbent President Yoweri Museveni, was nominated as FDC flag bearer last week at Namboole Stadium, and later addressed a mammoth post-nomination rally at Nakivubo stadium.

Meanwhile, in his brief remarks at party headquarters on yesterday, the FDC president Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu said the massive crowds that rallied behind Besigye on his nomination day exhibited “frustration and a desire for change among our people.”

Muntu, who emphasized the need to organize the grassroots mobilization teams to build momentum for the 2016 elections said the 2016 campaign trail will be tough, and that “change is inevitable.”

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