The Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) presidential candidate, Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, on Wednesday campaigned at night in Bushenyi District, despite the Electoral Commission’s (EC) recommended 6pm deadline.
According to the EC guidelines for the presidential elections, campaigns are to be conducted between 7am and 6pm. The guidelines require candidates and their agents to ensure all campaign activities fall within these hours.
However, Mr Mafabi began his campaigns in Buhweju District, traversing the hilly terrain of an area without a single tarmac road. He promised residents that, once elected, he would construct 200km of tarmac roads in every district across the country. Due to the difficult terrain and poor roads, the FDC candidate reached Sheema District at 6.12pm, where he proceeded to hold a campaign event in Kabwohe Town along the Mbarara-Bushenyi road.
Police officers present at the venue did not interrupt the event. Mr Mafabi then continued to Bushenyi District, arriving at 7.50pm, where he held another rally on the Ishaka-Kitagata road in Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality. He said the Greater Bushenyi Sub-region faces significant challenges with its road network, which contributed to delays in reaching campaign venues across the three districts. Mr Mafabi questioned how a country dependent on agriculture can expect progress when farmers lack reliable roads to transport produce to markets. He pledged to fix the country’s roads.
When this reporter sought comment from police about why they allowed a presidential candidate to campaign beyond the stipulated time, neither the Greater Bushenyi Police spokesperson, Apollo Tayebwa, nor the Regional Police Commander, Godfrey Achiria, offered a response, both saying they were on official leave.
‘I am on leave; I am not there. It is my deputy who is in charge. The deputy RPC is the one responsible,’ Mr Achiria said.