Veteran political journalist and also Kira Municipality legislator Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda has revealed that President Museveni changed the design of the routes during his campaign rallies to mimic what happened in 1996.
Ssemujju disclosed that after his 1996 maiden presidential campaign at Kololo independence grounds, there was a lot of contestations on who got the bigger number of crowds between Museveni and his main opponent late Dr Paul Kawanga Ssemogerere who also held his first campaign rally at Kololo.
“Museveni struggled to prove that he beat Ssemogerere on the number of people who attended his first rally in Kololo. He boasted that more than two million people attended his rally,” Ssemujju said
However, he was struggled to get a photograph when he was surrounded by a huge happy crowd of people until he was advised that when he is driving into the gathering, the route he passes through should be in the middle of the gathering.
More Read
Since then, he has been using that trick to prove his opponents that he is more loved in Uganda.
As Ssemujju disclosed that before this move, Museveni’s passed at the back of the podium to access his campaign grounds and his security made sure that that people were not allowed there.
Ssemujju admitted that every politician wants to have huge gatherings at his political rally and it is the reason why National Unity Platform(NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu(Bobi Wine) is struggling with security who are fighting to make sure that he doesn’t have huge gatherings and appear in the media the next day.
He added that because of age, Museveni feels bad seeing Bobi Wine doing things which he cannot do now noting that he is very sure that Museveni is not the one directing police and other security personals to beat opposition supporters but security commanders themselves are scared of huge people gathering in one place.
“One time I was with Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago driving with a huge crowds from a campaign rally. When we reached Wandegeya, police were overwhelmed with the number until Special Forces Command (SFC) commandos were invited to save the situation. People were badly beaten and one of the commanders nearly insulted me claiming that I was taking that crowds to State House. I realised why those people are scared of Ugandans especially youths,” Ssemujju said
Kyeyune Ssentongo the Butebo Resident District Commissioner (RDC) warned fellow RDCs’ and security bosses on the ground not to be excited to reach the extend of declaring a war with Bobi Wine and stop him from passing or holding campaigning rallies in their areas. He explained that such actions give wide publicity to opposition strongman Bobi Wine.
Lawyer Male Mabirizi disclosed that most of the security personnel are fighting Bobi Wine supporters because they are scared of their future. Mabirizi alleges that many of these officers joined the forces with forged papers so they fear that the new government will expel and prosecute them.
He added that others joined the force through their relatives in big government offices, so they fear that the downfall of this government will also affect them.
“They see Bobi Wine’s youthful supporters as immediate enemies to their wellbeing,” Mabirizi said.
Emmanuel Dombo the NRM’s Director for Communication and Public Relations confirmed that Museveni’s campaign team sometimes transports people to places where he is going to hold campaign rallies because he doesn’t want them to miss the good message of fighting poverty and corruption.
