Category: Daily Monitor

From the exterior, one of the features you will like about the Toyota Hilux GR Sport is its front aerodynamic shape that enables it to run through all kinds of winds, while maintaining the output of a high-performance pick-up.

During my test drive of the 2025 model that started at the Corporation for Africa and Overseas (CFAO) showroom, formerly known as Toyota Uganda in the Industrial Area, I discovered that the GR Sport is more than a pick-up known for being laborious.

The new version combines comfort, speed and extraordinary performance.

From the showroom, I drove through the potholes of the Sixth and Seventh Street in Industrial Area, to Namuwongo, through the potholes of Muyenga via IHK Hospital, Tank Hill Road, Kansanga, Ggaaba, Munyonyo to Kajjansi, Entebbe expressway and to the Kampala Northern bypass.

In Muyenga, I discovered that the GR Sport maintains high traction levels even when I deliberately drove into the numerous potholes, unlike some pick-ups where you run into potholes and feel the vehicle bouncing with wheels in potholes.

In terms of comfort, the more you drive into potholes or any other rough terrain, the harder the seatbelt will hold you firmly in the driver’s seat to give you total control of the car. You will still feel the roughness of uneven terrains but will be comfortable enough to steer through smoothly.

Performance

Running on a 2800cc engine, the GR Sport performs well when it is fitted with the right tyre size and rim. For maximum performance, use high profile tyres with reasonable treads against the recommended rim size, preferably size 17 or 19. What you also need to understand is that the size of the rims and tyres you use determine comfort levels as well as fuel economy.

If the tyres have no treads, it means the vehicle will struggle to get over rough terrains, thereby increasing fuel consumption to a certain extent. Tyres with treads also enable effective and safer braking compared to treadles tyres where you risk crashing into other road users or objects.

On a high-speed road, the GR Sport picks up speed from zero to 100km/hr mark between five to 10 seconds, depending on how hard you step the acceleration pedal. Much as it has a sporty element, what I also liked about the GR Sport is that it requires a very short braking distance regardless of your driving speed to stop the vehicle.

In some Toyota brands, you will feel as if you are bending when negotiating corners. In the GR Sport, this is almost non-existent. Its stability increases as you negotiate sharper corners. It does not, however, mean that you negotiate a sharp corner at, for example, 100km/hr; otherwise, you will overturn the vehicle.

Other features

The Hilux GR Sport has a re-tuned suspension. The key feature in the upgraded suspension system is the introduction of new monotube shock absorbers and new front springs. The monotube design creates a larger piston area to give better damping performance, with faster response and better heat dissipation. It also helps maintain the performance quality of the oil inside the unit when driving in tough conditions.

The front coil springs have been stiffened and both these and the new shocks are painted red to make a stand-out statement of the Hilux GR Sport’s special character. These changes are in addition to suspension upgrades previously introduced for new Hilux, including retuned rear leaf springs and new bushes. The result is confidence-inspiring reliability in demanding driving conditions.

Compared to the standard Hilux, these changes deliver significant improvements in handling characteristics, including steering effort and steering angle response, straight-line performance, a flat ride and reassuring roll and rear grip feel. The new set-up also contributes significantly to ride comfort, with fast response to high-frequency vibrations and increased damping capability to control body movement and eliminate shock.

GR SPORT styling

Styling treatments inside and out emphasise the Hilux GR Sport’s special character. The black front grille has a dedicated G-pattern mesh and gains a prominent central horizontal bar with the Toyota name classically rendered, in place of the brand emblem. This heritage-inspired touch references the badging on the fourth generation Hilux of the early 1980s.

The powerful frontal design is amplified by new, larger front fog light surrounds.

The 17-inch alloy wheels have a contrast black and machined finish and are fitted with all-terrain tyres. The black theme is carried through in the door mirror casings, side steps, over-fenders and tailgate handle. This throws the bright red of the new shocks and springs into sharp contrast. Discreet GR Sport badging is also featured. In the cabin, there are new sports front seats in a combination of black leather and synthetic suede with red perforations and contrast stitching. The GR sport branding is featured on the seatbacks, carpet mats, starter button and the information display animation graphic.

The driver can use paddle controls for manual shift selection and aluminium sports pedals are fitted.

The look is enhanced with carbon fibre-style trim inserts, a red deco line across the width of the instrument panel and blue door panel illumination. Equipment specifications are based on the high-grade Hilux and include LED headlights and combination lamps, smart entry and push-button start, dual-zone air conditioning, downhill assist control and an automatic limited-slip differential.

Cost

Albert Besigye, a sales executive at CFAO Motors, says the quoted price for the 2025 model GR Sport is $85,000 (Shs305.5m). This is a significant investment that exemplifies both aspiration and access in an economy where mobility and status often come at a steep premium.

Bugiri District LCV chairperson and NRM flag bearer, Davidson Kasaja Mulumba, has assured residents that he possesses all the required academic qualifications to contest for the district chairperson position.

Mr Kasaja Mulumba, who expressed anger during campaign rallies in Busowa Town Council, Bugiri Municipality, Muterere, and Nankoma Town Council, said his opponents, led by the district NRM chairperson, who also doubles as Bukooli Central MP, Solomon Silwany, had petitioned the Electoral Commission, alleging that he lacks the academic qualifications to contest for district chairperson.

“I want to assure the people of Bugiri District that we appeared before the Electoral Commission chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, and I presented all my documents,” he said.

Mr Mulumba said his opponents are targeting him because of the district’s improved development, including healthcare, free job provision, and road maintenance.

“They are looking for every opportunity to remove me from leadership, but God is on my side. I urge the people of Bugiri District to look at what I have accomplished and vote for me to ensure even more development,” he added.

Mr Mulumba also urged residents of Bukooli Central to support independent candidate Daudi Mulengani to strengthen collective efforts in improving service delivery in the district.

“People of Bukooli Central, let us unite and remove incumbent MP Solomon Silwany from this constituency because of his character,” he added.

According to Mr. Mulumba, Mr Silwany is backing his opponent, the former Bugiri LCV chairperson, Haji Malijan Azalwa.

Mr Mulumba, however, urged residents to vote for President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, citing improved health services, and added that the government will soon upgrade Bugiri General Hospital to a regional hospital in the 2026/2027 financial year.

However, the aspiring Member of Parliament for Bukooli Central on the Independent ticket, Daudi Mulengani, also known as Mbagoikare, pledged to improve agriculture in the constituency.

“I know we are poor because our leaders have not sensitized us. If you vote for me as your Member of Parliament, I will make agriculture my top priority to fight famine and poverty,” he said.

Mr Mulengani also pledged to provide fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides to farmers free of charge to boost agricultural production in the area.

Mr Mulengani, however, warned fellow candidates planning violence and vote rigging, adding that he will deal with them accordingly.

However, the political assistant to MP Solomon Silwany, Abdallah Kadimba, said the NRM top leaders should convene a harmonisation meeting with the two leaders, warning that the party is likely to lose more positions in the district.

“I think these wrangles were caused by senior government officials; therefore, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni can intervene in these issues,” he said.

The race for the LCV seat includes incumbent Davidson Kasaja Mulumba (NRM), Hajji Malijan Azalwa (Independent), and Kizito David Wanjala (NUP).

The next few weeks are jammed with election-related activities, including the election of a President, Members of Parliament (MPs), and Local Government council representatives, who will lead us for the next five years. In the election cycle, journalists, who are part of the media ecosystem, are expected to play a critical democratic role to inform the public accurately, monitor and report electoral processes, expose irregularities and malpractices, promote peace and responsible reporting, fact-check and counter misinformation, etc.

However, in the process of carrying out their role during the election cycle, we have in the past seen incidents where they are specifically targeted and assaulted.

Recently, I attended a training of journalists by the African Centre for Media Excellence focused on covering Uganda’s general elections. Earlier, I had attended a similar training facilitated by Dr William Tayebwa, a senior lecturer in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University. They shared tips on how journalists covering the 2026 elections can ensure their safety. Permit me to share some of them.

Journalists should research the history of the destination they have been assigned to cover. Incidents of attacks against journalists during elections are common in the central region, particularly Kampala and Wakiso districts. As a journalist covering elections in these areas, always be alert and prepared in case anything undesirable happens. Don’t work in isolation. Move and talk to other journalists, because if any violence breaks out, you can rescue each other. If you have experienced problems in a particular area, inform fellow journalists about it.

For female journalists, please wear comfortable closed or canvas shoes, not high heels, or open flat shoes. Avoid wearing tight clothing. These can make your movement difficult in times of chaos. Be intentional with the colours of clothes you wear. In Uganda, colours yellow, red, and blue are part of the identity of the three main political parties, depending on the political movements and parties active in your region, dress in mutual colours. When you get to your reporting destination, get in touch with area authorities, including the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the police station in that area. Let them know you are a journalist, such that in case anything happens to you, you can be rescued/supported. Remember, they can also be sources of information.

Relatedly, respect lawful police instructions while asserting your constitutional duties to report freely. Move with your press card/press badge, and wear your press jackets where necessary for easy identification. Unfortunately, these have in the past been used in some incidents to target journalists. We hope it doesn’t happen this time. Avoid journalism of ‘bravado’. This is where reporters use an aggressive, confrontational, or showy approach in their reporting. This can get you into more trouble. Remember, no story is more important than your life. If the environment where you are reporting from becomes very violent , please leave.

And to our security agencies, politicians, the Electoral Commission (EC), and the general public, please provide a safer and secure environment for journalists to do their work without intimidation, harassment, or attacks. To the journalists, it is not only about respecting your rights. You also have to respect the rights of others. Rights come with responsibilities, and yours is to report responsibly by applying key principles of journalism, including truth and accuracy, independence, fairness and impartiality, accountability, and transparency. Inflammatory media reports can also cause protests or violence.

My prayer and wish, which I strongly believe is the wish for many Ugandans, is to have a peaceful voting period, free from any form of violence. Let us all shun violence against journalists and civilians. A peaceful and violence-free Uganda is possible, and benefits us all.

Uganda’s total exports have grown to $12.7 billion (Shs46 trillion) in the year ending November 2025, marking a 33 percent rise from the previous year’s $8.5 billion (Shs30 trillion).

According to the latest report from the Bank of Uganda (BoU), the major drivers of this growth were the gold and coffee sectors. Gold exports, in particular, have been a shining star, with earnings soaring to $5.8 billion (Shs21.1 trillion) in the period under review. This represented a staggering 44 percent increase from the previous year, when gold exports were valued at $3.3 billion (Shs11.9 trillion).

The gold sector’s success can be attributed to a combination of favourable policies and the presence of refineries in the country.

Uganda has experienced a surge in gold exports over the past three years, with the country importing raw gold from neighboring countries such as Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This strategic move has not only boosted trade but also positioned Uganda as a key player in the regional gold market.

According to Bank of Uganda figures, the country exported 8,298 kilogrammes of gold in October, more than double the 3,765 kilogrammes shipped in September.

This shows that October’s windfall is not merely a price effect but a real increase in quantities exported, a sign that more gold is moving through Uganda’s formal export channels.

The coffee sector, another major export earner for Uganda, has also seen a significant increase in export value and volumes.

Despite the controversy surrounding the Coffee Bill, which was later assented into a law during the year, the country earned a total of $2.4 billion (Shs8.7 trillion) from coffee exports in the period under review. This represented a remarkable 40 percent increase from the previous year’s $1.5 billion (Shs5.3 trillion) earnings.

In an interview with Business Daily, Dr Adam Mugume, BoU’s director of research, said Uganda’s economy has demonstrated resilience in the face of global uncertainty and volatility, driven by prudent monetary policy that balances economic growth, inflation, exchange rate stability, and financial system stability.

‘The robust performance of the economy has been supported by strong export proceeds from key sectors such as coffee, gold, cocoa, sugar, fruits, and vegetables, as well as significant inflows from foreign direct investment in the oil sector, workers’ remittances, and tourism receipts.’

The BoU report further highlights that Uganda’s major export destinations include the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which consumes most of the gold exports, Italy which is takes nearly 70 percent of the country’s coffee exports, Kenya, DRC, and South Sudan which consume Uganda’s agricultural commodities such as maize and beans and manufactured products such as sugar, processed milk and steel products.

These countries have been key markets for Uganda’s exports, and the growth in trade with these nations has contributed significantly to the country’s economic performance.

Industrial experts say the growth in exports is a welcome development for Uganda’s economy, which has been diversifying in recent years.

‘The country’s strategic location in the East African region makes it an attractive hub for trade and commerce. With the right policies and investments, Uganda is well-positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities in the global market,’ Mr John Bosco Lwere, an exports promotions executive at Uganda Free Zones and Export Promotions Authority, shared.

The BoU report underscores the importance of the gold and coffee sectors in driving Uganda’s economic growth.

‘As the country navigates the complexities of the global economy, it is essential that policymakers and stakeholders work together to support these key sectors. By doing so, Uganda can build on its recent successes and achieve sustainable economic development,’ experts said.

Challenges

Despite challenges such as the Coffee Bill saga, the country’s exporters have demonstrated their ability to navigate complex markets and capitalise on emerging opportunities.

As Uganda looks to the future, experts highlight the need for continued investment in key sectors such as infrastructure, agriculture, and industry. By addressing these challenges, Uganda can unlock its full potential and achieve sustainable economic growth and development.

Uganda’s export boom is a story of growth and opportunity. With the right policies and investments, the country can build on its recent successes and achieve sustainable economic development.

With the right approach, the future looks bright for Uganda, and the country can achieve even greater heights in the years to come. By leveraging its strategic location, diversifying its economy, and supporting key sectors, Uganda can become a major player in the regional and global economy.

As Uganda races towards the general election next week, the battle for State House has sharpened focus on the state of the country’s health system that leaves millions, one illness away from poverty.

The election is happening at a time when the sector, which has been heavily reliant on foreign donations, is struggling with significant declines in donor funding.

The High Court in Kampala has dismissed an appeal by Daniel Mulirire challenging his disqualification from the race for Member of Parliament for Budiope East Constituency in Buyende District, upholding a decision of the Electoral Commission that nullified his nomination.

In a judgment delivered on January 9, 2026, Justice Simon Peter Kinobe ruled that Mulirire failed to provide cogent proof that he had resigned from the Uganda Police Force as required by law and that the Electoral Commission acted within its mandate when it annulled his nomination.

Mulirire had been nominated on October 22, 2025, but his candidature was challenged by Ibrahim Yeko, a registered voter in the constituency, who lodged a complaint alleging that Mulirire was still a serving police officer and had not furnished proof of resignation.

On December 23, 2025, the Electoral Commission disqualified Mulirire, prompting the appeal.

Mulirire argued, among other grounds, that the law requiring public officers to resign before nomination was unconstitutional, that the Commission lacked quorum, and that his right to a fair hearing had been violated.

Justice Kinobe rejected the constitutional challenge, holding that Article 80(4) of the Constitution and Section 4(4)(a) of the Parliamentary Elections Act remain valid law. The judge relied on earlier Supreme Court authority, stating that the resignation requirement was valid and applicable.

‘The current attempt to challenge the decision of the 2nd Respondent on grounds that Section 4(4)(a) of the Parliamentary Elections Act, Cap 177 is void is misconceived and devoid of merit,’ the judge ruled.

On the issue of quorum, the court found that the matter had not been properly raised in the petition and that, in any event, evidence presented by the Electoral Commission showed it was duly constituted.

Justice Kinobe held that ‘the Commission was properly constituted with the requisite quorum prescribed under section 8(4) of the Electoral Commission Act.’

The court also addressed whether Mulirire was required to attach proof of resignation at the time of nomination. Justice Kinobe found that while resignation at least 90 days before nomination is mandatory, the law does not expressly require proof to be attached at nomination.

‘The failure to provide proof of resignation on nomination day is not fatal,’ the judge stated, adding that such proof could be assessed during the complaint process. However, the court found that Mulirire failed to meet that standard when the complaint was heard.

The only document presented was an uncertified photocopy of a letter allegedly accepting his resignation from the Uganda Police Force. ‘It is my opinion that the letter was not sufficient,’ Justice Kinobe held, noting that the author’s capacity was unclear, the letter was not certified, and there was no evidence it existed at the time of nomination.

‘By not adducing cogent evidence of resignation at the time of the Electoral Commission hearing, the respondent rightly found that the Petitioner did not comply with the condition precedent,’ the judge ruled.

On the claim of denial of a fair hearing, the court found that Mulirire was notified of the complaint, given time to respond, and that his response was considered.

‘The desired effect of notification to the Petitioner was achieved, as his side of the story was presented and considered by the Commission,’ Justice Kinobe said.

In the final orders, the court dismissed the appeal but declined to award costs.

‘All parties shall bear their costs,’ the judge ordered, noting that the case raised important questions of electoral law.

National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Kalifani Chemutai has decried the challenges he faces in his campaign for Member of Parliament for Kapchorwa Municipality ahead of the 2026 elections.

Chemutai, who previously contested for MP as an independent but National Resistance Movement (NRM) party-leaning in Tingey County in Kapchorwa District, said his campaign journey turned rough after he disagreed with the NRM party and joined the opposition, becoming the NUP flag bearer for Kapchorwa Municipality.

“On the day the Electoral Commission (EC) had declared for parliamentary campaigns to kick off, I was arrested and detained at Bugema Barracks for weeks without any charges against me,” Chemutai told Daily Monitor.

Chemutai is competing against other candidates, including Martin Chemonges of the NRM, Patrick Kitiyo Solimo (Independent), Peter Poloman (Independent), and former minister for privatization Rukia Kulany Chekamondo.

Chemutai recounted his ordeal, saying he was picked up by security personnel on November 10 while at his business premises, allegedly for tearing his own campaign posters.

“They put me in a drone and sped off, while in the drone they drew guns, knives, and even attempted to grab my private parts,” he said.

He was taken to Kapchorwa central police station, where he was assaulted in front of police officers, and later detained at Bugema army barracks.

“I was locked up at the quarter guard at Bugema barracks like a criminal despite being a nominated candidate,” Chemutai said.

He alleged that he was targeted for being in the opposition and escaped from the barracks after learning of plans to transfer him to Moroto Prison.

Brig Gen Wilberforce Sserunkuma, the Third Division Commander, denied allegations of torture and brutality, saying Chemutai was arrested for interference and had a case of escaping.

The Third Division Spokesperson, Mr Godfrey Kashaka, said Chemutai’s name is not in their records.

Chemutai said he quit the NRM party due to confusion and the party’s failure to address issues affecting Sebei, including poverty, landslides, and land grabbing.

“The NRM party is acting as if we are in a single-party system. It’s like it’s a crime to belong to another political party,” he said.

Police Spokesperson Sipi Subregion, Mr FredMark Chesang, said all candidates are being treated equally, but Chemutai was arrested for removing posters of President Museveni.

“He was arrested when the president came because he misbehaved. He removed the posters of the president, that’s why he was picked,” Chesang said.

As another high-stakes election approaches, a familiar confrontation has returned. The Opposition accuses the State of preparing the ground for rigging. Authorities respond that they are merely enforcing the law. At the centre of this clash is a deceptively technical rule: whether voters may remain near polling stations after casting their ballots.

The legal provision in contention is clear, and limited. Section 33(3)-(4) of the Presidential Elections Act, 2005, requires voters to queue at least 20 metres from the voting table, and states that after voting, all persons other than election officials, candidates, agents, and observers must also stay 20 metres away from that table. The law regulates proximity to the voting table, not a blanket ban on citizens witnessing the process.

Yet in practice, this narrow rule has been expanded into something far broader: A directive to disperse voters entirely from polling stations, often enforced by armed personnel. What looks like legal housekeeping has become a struggle over who controls visibility at the most sensitive democratic moment – the counting of votes. The Electoral Commission (EC) chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, insists it is acting within the law. The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, says they are preventing disorder. But for many citizens and Opposition leaders, the issue is not legality alone. It is trust.

Ugandans are allowed to vote. That is rarely disputed. What increasingly concerns citizens is what happens after the ballot is placed in the box. When voters are pushed far from polling stations, those stations cease to be civic spaces and become controlled administrative zones. Voting is visible; counting is not. The Opposition’s fear is not that rigging must occur, but that rigging becomes impossible to disprove when citizens are excluded from proximity. Transparency fails not because fraud is proven, but because verification is denied.

Democracy, reduced to paperwork behind a cordon of uniforms, begins to resemble a ritual rather than a shared civic act. The growing presence of soldiers throughout the cities and now at polling stations intensifies suspicion. Authorities argue this guarantees peace. But peace enforced by armed men is never neutral. It reshapes behaviour, silences questions, and discourages observation. Even when no force is used, the message is unmistakable: Stay back. In a political environment dominated for decades by President Museveni, neutrality is not assumed; it must be demonstrated. Elections policed by guns may be orderly, but order is not the same as legitimacy.

The problem is not the existence of the 20-metre rule. It is how it is deployed. When the law is enforced selectively, it ceases to reassure the public and instead protects the process from scrutiny. A rule designed to manage queues becomes a tool to manage citizens. At the heart of this dispute lies a principle rarely stated but widely felt: the right to witness. Voting is not complete when a ballot is cast; it is complete when that ballot is counted openly and credibly. Citizens who remain near polling stations are not necessarily obstructing democracy.

Many believe they are safeguarding it. In countries with contested electoral histories, public presence is not paranoia; it is institutional memory. Democracies mature when institutions earn trust. They decay when trust is demanded but not demonstrated. Physical distance creates political distance. Visibility becomes invisibility. Participation becomes passive acceptance. When citizens are told to vote and leave, democracy is reduced to a transaction rather than a shared civic act. Uganda does not lack election laws. There is no consensus on whether elections belong to institutions alone or to citizens collectively.

If the EC seeks credibility, it must confront a simple truth: transparency is not disorder. Crowds are not chaos by default. Democracy does not fear witnesses; it depends on them. Until that lesson is embraced, the battle over 20 metres will continue – not as a legal debate, but as a symbol of a democracy struggling to decide whether it wants to be seen.

Mbu you can tell a lot about a society based on the things it worships, and the people it praises. Mbu, there is a reason Chameleone remains the most adored artiste by the Amin-era generation. Mbu that should tell you something. Mbu if you want to enjoy this Uganda, you ought to copy a ka-thing or two from that lanky artiste. Chameleone can be anything, and anywhere at the same time. ‘Therefore’ – Remember that voice during the Covid-19 lockdowns? Therefore, since the uncoordinated forces have learnt to deal with the citizens without mercy, the citizens must become miniatures of Chameleone. But that said, here is a ka rulebook for surviving through next week’s elections.

Rule One: If you think you understand Uganda, you are beginning to misunderstand it

National Unity Platform (NUP) supporters in Kanungu District, Western Uganda have expressed disappointment after their party presidential candidate, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi was for the second time frustrated from campaigning in the area.

ýMr Kyagulanyi who was scheduled to campaign in Mbarara and Kanungu districts on January 8, cancelled the Kanungu rally after security in the district refused to clear the campaign venues his team had identified.

ý’The venue for our rally in Kanungu (Kihihi polytechnic) has-last minute been given out for an NRM function. In light of this, we’re covering Mbarara only. Uganda will be free,’ Mr Kyagulanyi said on Thursday in a social media post.

ýAccording to Mr Joab Muhabuzi, the Kanungu District NUP chairperson, the failure by Mr Kyagulanyi to campaign in the area was brought about by the failure to secure a venue, cleared by the security team.

ý’We first secured St Pius playground but security refused to clear it. We then secured Kihihi Community Polytechnic playground but this was also not cleared but rather given to the NRM party to hold a mobilization rally. This morning the police directed us to take the rally to Kihihi High School playground with no clearance letter issued,’Mr Muhabuzi said on Thursday, January 8, 2026.

ýAccording to him, the news about the cancelled campaign rally left supporters disappointed.

ý Mr ýDickens Mushemeza, one of the NUP supporters in the district wondered why the state agents were frustrating Mr Kyagulanyi’s campaign activities.

ý’Why do they make it impossible for our presidential candidate to campaign in Kanungu district. Isn’t the district part of Uganda?’ he wondered.

ýAnother NUP supporter Mr Rauben Tumweaigye said that although the government agents have disorganized them, NUP supporters should express their dissatisfaction by voting for Mr Kyagulanyi on the polling day.

‘They can stop Mr Kyagulanyi from campaigning in Kanungu District but they will not stop us from voting for him on the polling day,’ Mr Tumwesigye said.

Mr Kyagulanyi was expected to address his supporters in Kanungu district November last year but skipped it due to unknown reasons although some of his supporters claimed that it was due to bad roads connecting Kanungu to Rukungiri District that affected his scheduled campaign trail.