National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine has castigated the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) government led by President Museveni for allegedly mocking Ugandans with Independence Day celebrations.
According to him, President Museveni’s government that has been in power for four decades has failed to live the true meaning of independence and instead chosen to enslave a bigger section of Ugandans in poverty and misery.
Mr Kyagulanyi who addressed a rally at Lusanjja Primary School playground in Nakaseke District as the country celebrated the 63rd Independence Day celebrations at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala on Thursday, accused Mr Museveni and his party of reversing the 1962 Independence gains, claiming many Ugandans are now forced to yearn for the pre-colonial days.
‘The true independence for Ugandans will come after the fall of this current government. Our children, parents and many other innocent Ugandans are in jail simply because they support people who don’t agree with Mr Museveni’s policies. We can’t enjoy our full rights as citizens, the colonialists did not act the way President Museveni and his government are curtailing freedom and rights of Ugandans,’ he said.
‘Even after 40-years in power, Ugandans are still suffering like before 1986 yet the current regime promised to liberate all Ugandans,’ he said.
He said when Mr Museveni took up arms to fight in the jungles of Luweero Triangle he laid down reasons that seemed genuine, making the war acceptable to the wider population in Buganda sub-region but after four decades in people, many who believed in him are in regrets due to increasing poverty levels, land grabbing, impunity, corruption, poor roads and poor health services, among others.
‘Recently, I heard President Museveni trying to enhance teachers’ salaries and promising free meals in public schools with each learner getting a cup of porridge mixed with milk and an egg. This is a mockery because the promises that have earlier been made for the last 40-years have not been fulfilled,’ he said.
Before Kyagulanyi addressed the rally, area MPs, Paulson Lutamaguzi (Nakaseke South), Allan Mayanja (Nakaseke Central) decried the rotten road infrastructure, including the feeder roads that are in poor state despite the government claiming that the area is the NRM cradle land.
‘In Kiwoko Town Council, we do not have a single health unit. Many people are victims of the ongoing land evictions and land grabbing by well-connected individuals in Mr Museveni’s government,’ he said.
The NUP presidential candidate earlier claimed that security agencies had denied him the opportunity to hold another rally in Ngoma, which is an NRM stronghold and also confiscated their public address system.
But Nakaseke Resident District Commissioner, Ms Rosemary Byabashaija in a telephone interview with this publication dismissed the claims, saying they agreed with NUP mobilisers in the area to hold only one rally due to limited manpower.
‘The security was only aware of the rally organised at Lusanja playground and not any other place. Those are false claims,’ she said.
Unlike the Monday that featured clashes between Kyagulanyi’s supporters and the Police in Mubende District, the Thursday campaign trail in Nakaseke was largely peaceful. From the border of Wakiso and Nakaseke, Kyagulanyi made several stopovers in Semutu, Kepeeka, where, through his car, he briefly addressed residents or waved to them.
Nakaseke is part of the Luweero Triangle, which was the epicentre of the five-year guerrilla war (between 1981 and 1986). Residents in both districts experienced significant losses during the war with thousands of lives lost, and the survivors were left to cope with the loss of family members, destruction of property, and a shattered local economy. While the war ended nearly 40 years ago, the impact lingered, affecting generations.
Despite all these, the area has for 35 yeas largely been loyal to Mr Museveni, generously contributing to his vote pool, but in the previous election, NUP made some inroads, winning two of the four parliamentary seats.