Besigye to restock Teso cattle herds
Dr Kizza Besigye addresses supporters in Katakwi yesterday. COURTESY PHOTO
KATAKWI- Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate Kizza Besigye yesterday wooed districts of Katakwi and Ngora, promising to restock the Teso cattle and compensate those who lost property during the years of insurgency here.
Restocking the Teso herd, which was decimated in the armed conflict and cattle rustling which followed Mr Museveni’s take-over of power, is a subject that has dominated almost all campaigns during Mr Museveni’s rule.
“Whereas Katakwi used to have proud cattle keepers, today there is nothing,” Dr Besigye said at a rally in Katakwi Town, promising to replenish the herd.
The government has over the years talked about restocking Teso and a sizeable amount of money has already been spent on the programme but with limited visible impact on the ground.
Government efforts have, as a result, not convinced people in the sub-region. Mr Silver Osegge, 72, a resident of Kapujan village in Katakwi, is one of those who are disgruntled.
“I had about 100 cows but they were all taken by the Karimojong,” Mr Osegge said, “The government gave them guns yet we did not have guns here.”
As Dr Besigye was due in Kapujan, Mr Osegge, who said he crossed over from the ruling party to support Dr Besigye eight years ago, had offered two of his donkeys to move around a public address system playing Dr Besigye’s mobilisation song, “Toka kwa barabara” – Swahili for ‘Give way’.
Wherever he went, Dr Besigye looked to capitalise on the discontent driving people such as Mr Osegge. He promised to help post-conflict widows and orphans, who he said were many in the sub-region – all victims of the insecurity that ravaged the area, and also promised to pay off former combatants.
Education minister Jessica Alupo, who lost the race to retain the Katakwi Woman MP seat on the NRM ticket and is now running as an independent, was not spared spite.
“In education, Katakwi is at the bottom of the ladder although the Minister of Education is from Katakwi,” Dr Besigye said, drawing applause.
He promised to “build more schools and equip them”, and repeated his early campaign promise to increase teachers’ salaries.
He also promised to tarmac the 150km stretch of road from Soroti to Kotido, which he said Mr Museveni has often promised to tarmac without doing it.
Dr Besigye called on his audience to vote only FDC candidates, looking to deepen the electoral success he and his party has got in Teso over the recent elections.
FDC has a number of MPs from Teso, including Serere Woman MP Alice Alaso, Kasilo County’s Elijah Okupa, Kumi County’s Amuriat Oboi and Soroti Woman MP Angellina Osegge.
