Independent presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi is in Mpigi district today, a day after campaign in Lira.
By Norah Mukimba
5:24pm: Mbabazi finally arrives at Mawonvu grounds, his rally venue and people are cheering at his arrival
4:50pm: Mbabazi has continued making stop-overs despite Police insisting that he drives straight to his rally venue.
He has so far addressed supporters at Gomba, Nakatoye, Bulo and Kyabadaaza. He is yet to reach the venue for his main rally.
3:19pm: Police directs Mbabazi to move fast to Mpigi. They tell him he used a wrong route to get to his rally venue.
After a brief argument, Mbabazi moves on to Kibibi. Still the DPC follows him, telling him not to stop, but continue to his rally venue.
Right now, the Police vehicle is moving behind Mbabazi’s six-car convoy.
3: 00pm: The Police have urged Mbabazi to move on to Mpigi as his programme says and not to address rallies in other towns. Butambala district Police commander Musa Kayongo says Mbabazi was not scheduled to be in Butambala. This came after Mbabazi made a stop-over at Kabasangaand addressed his supporters. He told them he would work on their roads and respect their demand for a federal system of government.
12:00PM Mbabazi has left Lira town where he addressed a rally yesterday and spent a night. He is heading to Mpigi, Mawonvu grounds, where he will address another rally today.
Meanwhile, preparations in Mpigi are high as the supporters await their candidate. The distribution of T-shirts, posters is going on and cyclists are gearing up to receive Mbabazi.
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‘Bukedde is best newspaper’
Another reporter introduces himself, but before he can ask Mbabazi his question, the presidential candidate cuts in and complains about media coverage.
He complains that some TV stations are showing a small rally in their footage. The argument goes on for long until DP president Norbert Mao intervenes to say they will take it up with the managers of, particularly NBS TV.
Mao calls for balance and says the media covers Museveni for crowds and small crowds for other candidates. He says they were aware that the security apparatus is blocking free media coverage.
“The best newspaper [in terms of elections coverage] is Bukedde,” says Mbabazi. “As for New Vision they have allocated page 1 for Museveni and Mbabazi appears on Page 7 in small clips. UBC is also a freehold for the incumbent.
“We think journalists should decide on how to cover. We know you are not the decision makers, but we shall engage the editorial team.”
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‘Sub-county will be centre of business’
Journalist James Onono asks Mbabazi: “How are you going to create jobs?”
“Read my manifesto,” responds the presidential hopeful.
“We clearly stated that we shall establish sub-county models and every sub-county will create 500 jobs. All these will be new jobs. Our people are poor. Their conditions are very bad despite the fact that they are hardworking, intelligent and Uganda is endowed.
“Ask yourselves, why would such people be poor? It is poor leadership. I gave an example of other countries that do not even have the conditions that we have. I am coming up with an idea that gives an individual to fully exploit their potential.
“The ordinary farmer works hard, grows rice, peas, millet, beans, but when you look at it, it is a sellers’ market. Who determines the price? The buyer. She has a need so she will be forced to sell. We want to change this by restoring the cooperative movement, especially the productive one. Those established to produce, then we start a commodity exchange market to promote selling.
“We shall have a silo at the sub-county where the products are processed and put in warehouses. We shall create a community bank and the receipt from your warehousing receipt will be used as security to get a loan. This commodity exchange will stabilize the prices.
“The sub-county will become a centre of business and international players will come in,” explains Mbabazi.
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‘I never bought such a vehicle’
“Who was responsible for stealing funds for northern Uganda?” comes another question.
Mbabazi says: “The Auditor General investigated and I think there is a report. I was not in charge of the thieves. A prime minister is not in charge of these funds – even a minister does not handle funds. There is a procedure of funding. A minister can intervene, but before he intervenes, he must put it in writing and he takes responsibility.
“There is this nonsense that has been kept in the media by Odonga Otto that I bought an armored vehicle when I was prime minister. I never bought such a vehicle.
“When I became prime minister, Prof. Apolo Nsibambi requested me to let him use the vehicle he was using. I was using an old vehicle which one time broke down in the middle of traffic. So that new Benz was bought to replace an old vehicle and I never took part in the decision to buy it.”
‘Where has the wealth gone?’
“Affirmative action for northern Uganda. What more will you do for the region?” asks Alex Otto.
“From the day I made the declaration on June 15, I was clear on what should be done,” responds Mbabazi.
“Our economy has expanded from $1.5 billion in 1986 to more than $30 billion. But where is that wealth? Do you see any bit of it? Where has it gone? It is true that the bulk of this is in a few areas of Uganda. I want an equitable share of the wealth.
“Victims of war need special attention, special programmes. I think and I have always argued that whereas I am a great believer of free enterprise, we must reserve a role for state intervention. Like Karamoja has a lot of potential, but no investor will want to go there. It is up to the state to make the place attractive.
“Take an example of sheer butter, people come here, take it away and reap a lot. How come nobody has come to invest in it here? We want to create conditions in the north to attract investment.
“We now have oil, how are we going to use it? We saw this in Congo, where the Belgians created infrastructure for evacuating the riches. We would want equal development for the regions of Uganda.”
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