Bobi blames Museveni for poverty in Busoga

Former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has blamed rampant poverty in Busoga Sub-region on the NRM government.

Bobi Wine made the remarks while welcoming Mr Andrew Kaluuya from the National Resistance Movement (NRM) to the National Unity Platform (NUP) party in Iganga District last week.

“Busoga used to be the industrial area of East Africa, the biggest sugarcane growers and the place with the best schools like Kiira College Butiki and Busoga College Mwiri, but Museveni has killed all these. Please don’t associate yourselves with him, you are on your own,” he said.

The NUP leader was responding to the recent comments made by President Museveni while at Kyando playground in Mayuge District where he presided over the inaugural Bishop James Hannington Day.

The President wondered how the people of Busoga manage to live in extreme poverty.

In his speech, Mr Museveni said: “I have been peeping through my car window as I travelled here for this function and I have kept wondering to myself how do these people live through this sort of poverty? I have screened through all these villages where I have passed but the houses and all the other things I have seen have left me wondering how it’s possible for our people to survive through these hard economic conditions.”

Bobi Wine said despite the fact that the sub-region is endowed with tourism centres, it has been neglected by the government. He asked leaders, including the former Speaker of Parliament, Mr Rebecca Kadaga, to join the “side of the people”.

However, when contacted, Mr Rogers Mulindwa, the spokesperson of NRM secretariat, dismissed Mr Kyagulanyi’s claims.

He also said Busoga is not as poor as portrayed by Kyagulanyi.

“Even in Kampala there are people who cannot afford a meal, but there are those who eat and throw away the food, Busoga is not an exception,” Mr Mulindwa said.

He added: “The problem with the NRM leaders is that after being voted, they come and hide in Kampala and get disconnected from the people, which allows Bobi Wine to go there with his propaganda...., which is why he [Museveni] lost in Busoga,” he added.