At the height of national political campaigns spanning from 2001, 2006, and 2011, elderly men, women, youth, and children would throng the road-sides flashing the V-sign to signify victory in support of their then favourite Opposition presidential candidate and Forum for Democratic Change party leader, Col (rtd) Dr Kizza Besigye.
While singing their traditional songs as a way of marketing the campaigns, they would be seen ululating as they jumped out of their mud and wattle grass-thatched houses in excitement to cheer Dr Besigye in his convoy. The supporters would lay traditional kitenge clothes for the three-time presidential candidate to walk on, and they would offer him gifts such as doves, chickens, goats, and sheep, in a show of great support and solidarity. He received a hero’s welcome across West Nile, in a region whose locals suffered while in exile in DR Congo and South Sudan after the fall of President Idi Amin in 1979.
Dr Besigye, who could roar during campaigns with his trademark ballistic voice, was a darling to the people of West Nile because his messages spoke to the common man’s problems. Key on his agenda at that time was the bad roads, non-connection to the national grid, and the arrests of OPEC boys, the notorious fuel smugglers who carried goods across the borders of South Sudan and Dr Congo. He would also ride on the poverty levels in communities in West Nile to drive his point home. Dr Besigye went ahead to fault the government on the sorry state of health and educational institutions in the sub-region. These factors, among others, won the hearts of the people of West Nile, making the NRM government unpopular. Another factor was the popularity of the late Democratic Party presidential candidate, Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere, who contested in the 1996 elections and won across West Nile with more than 80 percent of the votes.
The same favour and love for the Opposition candidate was reciprocated in support of Dr Besigye’s Reform Agenda and later FDC. Dr Besigye had set up party structures with FDC offices opened in key districts such as Nebbi and Arua. It appeared apparent that massive mobilisation was being conducted right from the grassroots level. It is no wonder that during the 2006 presidential campaigns, the procession from the FDC office in Arua Town, which is about 800 metres to Arua Hill grounds, took about 30 minutes of slow driving as traffic jams were created in the town, with a mammoth crowd following him. That time, the Muslim group played the drum as a way of mobilisation for Dr Besigye. In 2016, the same love for the Opposition was still visible. That time, the late Ibrahim Abiriga, who then served as Arua District Resident District Commissioner, mobilised some NRM supporters for a bull feast to divert people’s attention from attending Dr Besigye’s rally. But this was in vain as people abandoned the feast and dashed to Arua Hill for campaigns. Some of the NRM supporters moved with the animal’s hooves during Dr Besigye’s procession.
How Opposition lost ground
Incensed by the incident, the late Abiriga planned dismantling of the Opposition party support. He moved to various boda boda stages to mobilise support for Mr Museveni. ‘Stop listening to those lies of the Opposition. We should support the government that brought you back from exile. The government works on services in phases. The roads, electricity, schools and hospitals will be done if you support NRM,’ he said in 2016. During the campaigns, the late Abiriga managed to mobilise and pull crowds for Mr Museveni. He spoke vehemently about the completion of the Karuma-Olwiyo-Pakwach-Nebbi-Arua road, which he said was a success for the NRM regime. Some people believed him and were compelled to support the regime. Abiriga’s efforts paid off while in Arua District in 2016, where President Museveni won with 114,888 (57.71 percent) and Dr Kizza Besigye got 68,108 (34.22 percent) out of the 336,384 registered voters. This was the starting point for the NRM to find a foot in the elections.
NRM take over
Pakwach District chairperson Robert Omit Steen said: ‘We appreciate his (Museveni’s) efforts in the last terms of rehabilitating some of the roads, constructing Seed schools in communities, and connecting the region to the national grid. These are services our people needed and so he deserved our support.’
He, however, said there are areas that require the government’s urgent attention such as the revival of the Pakwach Railway Station and port, upgrading of Pakwach Health Centre IV to a hospital status and upgrading of Uganda College of Commerce Pakwach to university status. President Museveni throughout the campaign in West Nile promised to provide scholastic materials, pads for pupils in schools, tarmac the roads, and connect the region to the national grid and this was fulfilled on August 3, 2024. He also promised free Universal Primary Education. This statement won hearts of many of the poor parents, especially in rural areas, who looked at him as a saviour. The NRM has also mobilised various youth groups, women and men to canvas for votes in the rural areas.
The defections
The exodus of devotees from the FDC such as former Arua Central Division MP Kassiano Wadri, former Arua Woman MP Christine Abia, Ms Amina Atako, Ms Nesma Ocokoru, Ms Night Asara to Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) among other party officials also disabled the party’s support base. This left a gap in the leading Opposition party structures. The NRM has also tried to fulfil some of its promises that include construction of major roads, bridges and some anti-poverty projects that are likely to win them another term. The Pakwach District Woman MP, Ms Jane Avur, said: ‘People have realised the gains which we need to protect like the construction of Ora Bridge that connects people of Pakwach and Madi Okollo, the construction of the Pakwach-Nebbi road and the implementation of the Parish Development Model as a game changer.
The construction of Seed schools across the region is a gain.’ However, in a recent interview with the Daily Monitor, Mr Wadri said he does not believe in any gains from the NRM. He said locals in the region have been hoodwinked to think that by voting for an NRM candidate, development would come their way. NRM has 40 MPs in the 13 districts in West Nile, who have been mobilising support for him. ‘Despite this good representation, look at what the locals get in turn, poor state of roads from Nebbi to Arua, the Nebbi-Zombo-Vurra road, the road from Manibe to Terego-Yumbe. No senior political appointments and poverty just thrives on,’ Mr Wadri said. ‘Those that join the NRM party do so for selfish reasons, he added. Mr Wadri also revealed that the ground has not been levelled for all political parties as police often interfere with their programmes.