Rosalia Kaitesi is a towering 38-year-old mother of four, who lives in Kinyogoga, a small dusty trading centre in Nakaseke district.
At this time of the year, Kaitesi, just like the majority of the people in Kinyogoga, faces a tall order every day getting water for her household and cattle.
“Ranchers with means have valley dams. We draw water from such dams, especially during long dry spells like this one,” a smiling Kaitesi says when asked about the huddles she is facing in life.
The numerous challenges facing her life notwithstanding, Kaitesi, clad in a yellow National Resistance Movement (NRM) T-shirt with President Yoweri Museveni’s portrait, was among a number of NRM supporters that barracked Besigye at his rally yesterday in Kinyogoga.
Nakaseke and Luweero districts are deemed the cradle of the ruling NRM, on account of having seen the fi ercest battle that brought NRM to power 30 years ago.
In Bunyoro and the greater north, where Besigye has been campaigning during the festive season, his entourage would find a group of supporters at every rally venue.
However, at Kinyogoga in Nakaseke, Besigye found the venue of his fi rst rally with no waiting enthusiastic supporters.
Instead, residents of this trading centre, which was festooned with Museveni’s campaign posters, warily kept their distances. Not a single Besigye supporter was in sight.
Local FDC offi cials told Besigye’s entourage that his campaign posters had been plucked down the previous night, allegedly by NRM supporters.
With time, a group of people, many of them clad in NRM T-shirts, gathered to listen to Besigye speak. Obed Kamulegeya, Besigye’s special advisor and FDC chairman, Wasswa Birigwa, spoke first, telling residents that the bad roads, poverty and poor health services in
their area was indicative of betrayal by Museveni.
“Museveni claims this is his Mecca. There is no dust in Mecca. If Museveni has failed to tarmac this road after 30 years, how do you expect him to tarmac roads in this area in the next five years?” Kamulegeya asked.
Besigye addressed a crowd that listened to him more out of curiosity than genuine support.
“The hostility we are facing in this election is reminiscent of the type we experienced while
canvassing support for Mr. Museveni in the 1980 elections,” Besigye said, referring to Police patrol cars that trailed him up to Ngoma.
“The struggle we are in today is about stopping the corruption, improving health services and making sure that our children get quality education. However, this struggle is not about me alone, it is also yours and in this election, you have a choice to play your role,” Besigye,
speaking in Luganda, said.
At Ngoma, despite the lukewarm reception, Besigye’s rally went on without any incident.
“You pay a lot of taxes, but the money is used to take a few to deliver in hospitals in Europe, while your wives deliver in the bush,” Besigye told his supporters in Ngoma.
At Kiwoko, Besigye promised to eliminate layers of political administration, which he says is draining resources from essential services required by Ugandans. “We have many lawmakers and ministers. We shall not have more than 21 ministers and 150 MPs,” Besigye said, before proceeding to Nakaseke town for his main rally later in the afternoon.
