Besigye to reduce president's powers

Col. Kizza Besigye during a campaign

KABAROLE: The FDC presidential candidate Col. Kizza Besigye has pledged to reduce powers of the president and reduce the size of government to save money for development and better service delivery. On Friday night, Fort Portal town was jammed as hundreds of FDC supporters stormed the streets to welcome Besigye from the neighjbouring Kasese district where he had been campaigning for the 2016 general elections.


He was welcomed by a huge crowd and convoy of boda boda riders and vehicles as he entered Voice of Tooro radio station for a talk show at 8:0pm. The supporters who streamed to VOT FM premises at Katuramu Street remained standing along the streets, singing “Besigye come and redeem us from bad leadership and poverty”.

As he moved out of the studios at 11:30pm, his cheering fans lifted him onto his vehicle and gave him a goat. While on the radio talk show, Dr Besigye said this is his fourth time standing as president but he had never witnesses such an overwhelming support before. He said most regions that have been strong supporters of NRM have now
changed and are calling for change. He said once elected president, he will reduce the powers of president of appointing many people as leaders to waste the citizens’ money meant for development.
Besigye said he will transfer the president’s powers to regions to work on their problems independently.
On improved household income, Dr Besigye revealed plans of introducing inspectors in villages to mobilize, educate and inspect farmers at every household on income generating activities and nutrition. Besigye who had earlier campaigned in Kasese district, assured people of Rwenzori region to forget promises that president Museveni made
while in their area. He said Museveni had failed to deliver the promises during his 30 years of leadership.

“Are the railway lines still in place? Do you have to take away the railway lines to bring a train, he asked? Are the
cooperatives that used to help farmers still in place? What is he going to do now”, Besigye asked?
Besigye said during Idi Amin’s regime there was a fish factory known in the district but it no longer exists.
“That is an indication that Museveni will not put anything in place having killed all the systems like the salt milling factory which used to produce salt to the entire country,” Besigye said.
Speaking to supporters in Nyakasanga ward, he decried rampant unemployment
which has denied people jobs.

"Steady progress without jobs, steady progress with no health facilities and drugs, steady progress when farmers are selling their foods cheaply, steady progress when people have no right over their own money which
is to benefit them?' Besigye said.

“Let us all first gain confidence within ourselves so that when someone from a government institution comes to intimidate us we just tell him man, don’t you know that it’s me who pays you?” Besigye said.