Bobi asks supporters to vote all change-seeking candidates
Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, aka Bobi Wine, waves to his supporters at St Leo’s Kyegobe playground in Fort Portal City yesterday. PHOTO/ALEX ASHABA
Presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, has shifted from canvassing votes for only his National Unity Platform (NUP) party to rallying supporters to vote all candidates that represent change at all elective positions.
During his first two rallies in Kyegegwa and Kyenjojo districts yesterday, Bobi Wine asked supporters to not only look out for their NUP party symbol, the umbrella, but also vote all candidates that are seeking change at all levels of elections, especially parliamentary and local council positions.
“Our symbol is the umbrella but most importantly, I charge you to look out for all candidates who are seeking change. We need to work together because taking out a dictator means that we will have to have a combined effort,” he told hundreds of his supporters who turned up at Kibuye playground in Kyegegwa but later reiterated the same message at Butiti playground in Kyenjojo District.
This is the first time Bobi Wine is giving his supporters such a message during the campaign trail despite the fact that the musician turned politician had been calling for collective energy as change-seeking forces to oust President Museveni’s 35-year rule.
Following his arrest last week, a number of presidential candidates suspended their campaign programmes until the Kyadondo East legislator was released.
Commitment
Yesterday, NUP secretary general David Lewis Rubongoya emphasised that the Opposition needs to take the presidency as well as many seats in Parliament so as to make the majority number to be able to make legislation easy.
“Since we are a fully-fledged political party, we have put candidates in different positions but the talks to support one Opposition candidate at all levels are still ongoing and we shall be able to comment on them when the due time comes,” Mr Rubongoya said in a telephone interview.
Unlike other rallies in the past days, Bobi Wine’s campaigns yesterday were relatively peaceful with police firing teargas only twice on his way from Kyegegwa to Kyenjojo districts at trading centres where supporters were blocking traffic.
Despite the fact that he tried to observe the conditions given to him by court last week, police contained crowds and maintained about 200 supporters at the first venue, but not the second and the third. Mr Aloysius Mukasa, the NUP candidate for Rubaga South, provided a standby ambulance at the rallies to help the people who would have sustained injuries or fainted due to teargas.
“Our president (Bobi Wine) was given conditions at court and we had to adhere to them, we brought this ambulance to handle emergencies. We are also disturbed that some of the cars of the Ministry of Health that should be responding to Covid-19 patients are here carrying out operations,” Mr Mukasa said.
Asked why Ministry of Health vehicles were being used by police to patrol rallies, the ministry spokesperson, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, said: “If this is true, then that is wrong, however it could be the inter-agency task force which includes the police in trying to ensure that people observe the Ministry of Health restrictions across the country. But I will have to find out from the police whether this is true,” Mr, Ainebyoona said in an interview.
Pledge to tea farmers
Bobi Wine also pledged to help the people of Tooro Sub-region to find market for tea. “I know you have a very rich region endowed with tea but the prices have become a major problem. When I become president, I want to make sure that this tea benefits you and your children, not just the rich people to exploit you,” he said.
Tooro Sub-region is predominantly a tea growing area. Companies pay between Shs100 to Shs120 per kilo of plucked green tea per day, which farmers say is too low.
