Museveni, Bobi pitch to voters ahead of Serere by-election

As voters in Serere County prepare to go to polls tomorrow, President Museveni has warned against voter bribery, saying a mere Shs2,000 handed to the electorate cannot change their welfare in the next five years.
The President, who was yesterday campaigning for the NRM flag bearer, Mr Phillip Oucor, in Ocaapa and Serere Town Council, asked voters to desist from taking bribes from politicians whom he described as useless.

He explained that the answer to the people’s problems is not bribes but the Parish Development Model (PDM), a government anti-poverty project that is premised on a parish as the epicentre of community development, planning, implementation, supervision and accountability.  Under PDM, each parish receives Shs100m per year.  
The President said the money that has been pumped into PDM can help the more than 821 parishes in Teso to get out of poverty.

 “This money is your parish bank (Sacco), borrow from your parish bank, pay back with small interest,” he explained.
Mr Museveni said every year, if 100 families are able to borrow Shs1m each, after four years, 400 families will have been able to access the money to fight homestead poverty, mainly through agriculture.
He also said his government has shown the method to fight ignorance but people have failed to listen to their message.  He cited the introduction of free education for all in 1997 but the programme has found resistance from some head teachers who are charging parents and pupils money.

Mr Museveni revealed that there are 723 primary schools in Teso that get about Shs7b from the government for the children of the poor citizens to study for free.
“You still find people chasing children from school, we told these people; if you think this money is not enough tell us to send more money but don’t chase children from school,” he reiterated.
On the issue of Lake Kyoga, the President explained that his decision to deploy the army on the lakes has restored fish stocks and that 15 fish factories out of 22 that had closed are now operating.

 ANT camp
Ms Alice Alaso, the Alliance for National Transformation (ANT) candidate, who campaigned in Kyere Sub-county and Kyere Town Council, also said the people, who have been tortured on the lake, have not received justice because of the poor leadership.
Meanwhile, the police said they blocked Mr Emmanuel Omoding, an independent candidate, from accessing the campaign venue of NRM’s Oucor.
However, Ms Susan Amero, MP for Amuria who was on Mr Omoding’s campaign trail, said their candidate had been called by the Electoral Commission and members for his team to witness the arrival of voting materials.
Nevertheless, Mr Oscar Ageca, the East Kyoga regional police spokesperson, said Mr Omoding was not arrested.

 Bobi calls for Opposition unity
The National Unity Platform (NUP) party president, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, while campaigning for ANT’s Alice Alaso on Monday, called for opposition unity.
“We come from different parties but we believe that united we stand, but divided we fall,” he said.
“What we are doing here is to ask you to unite as people of Serere, as the marginalised people, as people who have suffered for so long, that is why we decided to go for the best, and the best is Alice Aalso,” Mr Kyagulanyi added.
 Bobi Wine, who campaigned alongside Maj Gen Mugisha Muntu, accused the ruling party of rigging all elections.
But he said people have the power to change the vice, by coming out to vote for Opposition candidates.

In the FDC camp
In the FDC camp, Mr Nathan Nandala Mafabi, the secretary general, who was in Atiira Sub-county campaigning for the party flag bearer, Mr Emmanuel Eratu, said it is hurting that Lake Kyoga has much of its water in Serere but the people are no longer enjoying the fish.
He said to restore sanity in Lake Kyoga, the people of Serere should entrust the county leadership in the hands of Mr Eratu.
Mr Mafabi also said the FDC party will end the torture on the lake, which, he said, is happening at the hands of the soldiers.
Mr Eratu said he offered himself on the principle of articulating the issues of the people in Parliament, adding that, it is sad that to this day, there are no drugs in most health centres in the area.