Bobi rallies Ugandans to vote out corrupt MPs

BY   BILL   OKETCH                     

National Unity Platform (NUP) party leader Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, has urged Ugandans to vote out what he called “thieves currently occupying seats in Parliament”.
“Uganda is very rich but Ugandans are very poor. That is because they steal all the money that they get from our taxes. Parliament has become a house of thieves,” Bobi Wine said while addressing a rally in Okwongodul Sub-county, Dokolo District, yesterday.

“Thieves in Yellow [NRM party colour] and also thieves in Opposition. It is you, the people of Dokolo, that are going to help to change that. We want every opportunity that we get to change that Parliament and put good people. We must use that chance, we must use that opportunity. Today, our chance has come and it has come in Dokolo District,” he said.

Mr Bobi Wine was in the district to drum up support for the NUP flag bearer in the Dokolo Woman MP by-election, Ms Harriet Ageno.
The 11th Parliament is currently in the eye of the storm over allegations of misuse of taxpayers’ money and extravagance.

The seat for Dokolo Woman Member of Parliament became vacant following the death of Cecilia Atim Ogwal’s death on January 18. The Electoral Commission (EC) last week cleared seven candidates to run for the seat.
However, Dr Grace Hanna Lalam, a member of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) who opted to run as an independent candidate, has reportedly stepped down in favor of their party flagbearer, Ms Janet Adongo Elau.

Efforts to reach out to her were fruitless by press time, as her known mobile number was switched off.
However, earlier, she had expressed concern over intimidation allegedly perpetrated by security forces against NRM members who defied the party and decided to contest as independent candidates.

This means six candidates remain in the queue to fill the vacant parliamentary seat.
They include Ms Ageno of NUP, Ms Janet Adongo Elau of NRM, Ms Sarah Aguti Nyangkori of Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) party and the late Ogwal’s daughter, Dr Rosemary Alwoch, who is running on the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) ticket. Others are Dr Esther Akullo Obot Otada and Ms Rebecca Arao, all independent candidates.

The NUP leader further said the current NRM regime under President Museveni has for long kept the people of northern Uganda in abject poverty.
“If you doubt my words, look at the roads in your area; look at the hospitals and schools in your area, look at how much land has been stolen from you; look at your children and tell me if that is how you want them to grow up,” he said.

“He (Museveni) has blinded all the people, especially in northern Uganda using money and violence. He has divided us using tribalism. I’m here to tell you that we want to create a new Uganda where we are all equal regardless of our tribes,” Bobi Wine added.
Other political heavy-weights, including FDC leader Patrick Amuriat Oboi and Mr Jimmy Akena Obote of UPC, were also in the area as they made last-ditch pitches to sway undecided voters to cast the ballot for flag bearers of their respective parties.

Mr Amuriat said FDC is going to adopt the late Ogwal’s team to guard their votes.
“It’s true that vote rigging has been a challenge throughout most of these by-elections. We have to fight to wed off the possibility of vote rigging,” he said.
President Museveni is today expected in Dokolo to drum up final support for the NRM candidate. The campaigns officially close today ahead of voting on Thursday.