Don’t vote for NRM, FDC’s Sabiiti tells Kigezi

The national chairman of the Elderly Council in the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, Mr Jack Sabiiti, has asked the people of Kigezi Sub-region to vote out the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government because of its failure to fulfil presidential pledges.

Mr Sabiiti, who is also the former FDC national party treasurer, made the remarks while addressing a press conference in Kabale Town on Friday. 

According to Mr Sabiiti, the unfulfilled pledges include tarmacking of roads such as Muhanga-Kisiizi road, Muhanga-Kamwezi road, Old Kabale road (Ndorwa East), establishing a sports centre in Nyamiringa, and putting a ferry on Lake Bunyonyi. 

Other unfulfilled pledges include ensuring enough power supply, building John Kale University in Kisoro District and setting up an iron ore factory, among others.

Mr Sabiiti said it is the right time to retire President Museveni since he can no longer change the lives of the people having frustrated them for more than 30 years.

“For Kigezi, we seem to have been left out in terms of development and utilisation of resources. In the other governments, Kigezi used to dominate, in public service, military, among others. We had a big role to play, but this government has sidelined Kigezi. So I am asking the people of Kigezi to look at this election seriously,” Mr Sabiiti said.

He added: “The people of Kigezi should support change and should not continue being told lies because look at the NRM regime that has been in power nearly for 35 years, and if you compare what they have done, you find that it is very little.”

Mr Sabiiti said the NRM leadership has continued to use a system of self-survival rather than working for a society and the future generation. 
He urged people of Kigezi to vote FDC which has come with a manifesto which talks about ‘New Uganda.’ 

Also at the conference were Rukiga District FDC vice chairperson and flag bearer for the Rukiga LC5 seat Michael Kwarikunda Mbareba and the party flag bearer for the Kabale Municipality MP seat, Dr Nicholas Thaddeus Kamara.
However, Kabale Resident District Commissioner Darius Nandinda on Saturday urged the people of Kigezi region to vote for the NRM party saying all major presidential pledges have been fulfilled.

According to Mr Nandinda, these include the creation of Rubanda and Rukiga districts from Kabale District, creation of Bukimbiri county and Kisoro municipality in Kisoro District, renovation and expansion of Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, approval of Kabale municipality to attain city status, making Kabale University a public institution, construction of Kabale central market,  among others.

“The unfulfilled pledges are less compared to the fulfilled ones. Therefore, anybody rallying people to deny the NRM leadership votes is either seeking cheap political popularity or he or she is politically out dated,” Mr Nandinda said.

Last month NRM leaders from the districts of Kabale, Kisoro, Rubanda, and Rukiga presented the issue of the unfulfilled presidential pledges while meeting President Museveni in Kabale stadium.

President Museveni did not directly respond to the issue of unfulfilled presidential pledges but told the NRM leaders in Kigezi to prioritiSe telling the people about the achievements and contributions of the  NRM government to Uganda’s development.