2021 campaigns begin today

The Electoral Commission (EC) yesterday released a campaign schedule for presidential candidates showing where each will start today.
However, Alliance for National Transformation’s (ANT) Mugisha Muntu and Democratic Party (DP) candidate Nobert Mao are not on the EC campaign schedule after they reportedly failed to submit their comprehensive campaign plans to EC in time. 
   
Mr Paul Bukenya, the acting EC spokesperson, warned yesterday that only candidates whose timetables have been approved are allowed to start canvassing for votes today.  
President Museveni, seeking reelection on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party ticket to stretch his lead of the country to 40 years, is set to begin his campaign in Luweero District today and travel to Lira tomorrow.

According to the EC schedule, Mr Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu, alias Bobi Wine, of the National Unity Platform (NUP), will be in Pakwach, Nebbi and Arua districts today.  He will be in Kitgum, Pader and Gulu  districts the following day.  
However,  Bobi Wine said he will delay his campaign by a day and start tomorrow because the EC sent him the schedule late yesterday.     
According to EC guidelines, the candidates are advised to hold virtual campaigns to avoid physical contact amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

If there must be any public meeting, it should not exceed more than 70 people at any particular venue. 
The 11 presidential candidates have 63 days to promote their manifestos to 17.5 million registered voters, who will decide their fate on January 14, 2021.
Mr Bukenya said once a presidential candidate is in a district, their campaign will take precedence of any other campaign event.
“Parliamentary and local government candidates will be required to surrender that day to presidential candidates in their districts because they only have one day there,”  he said. 

Independent candidate  Nancy Linda Kalembe will be in Jinja, Mayuge and Luuka districts today as Forum for Democratic Change’s (FDC)  Patrick Oboi Amuriat will begin his campaign in his home town of Soroti, before heading to  Serere, Ngora and Kumi tomorrow.
Mr Mao has not submitted his programme to EC, while Maj Gen Muntu was asked to reorganise his schedule because it had been presented in a regional structure. 
The EC advised him to break his campaign down by district.   
“We want candidates to give us which districts they will be going to, not regions. It will help because two candidates can be in one region but not in one district at the same time. ANT brought their programme. We have asked them to reorganise it,” Mr Bukenya said.

“I think those who have not given us their schedules, there is an opportunity tomorrow (today). They will start after we have harmonised their programme because we have to share it with security and our returning officers for good coordination,” he added.
Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde (Ind) begins his campaigns tomorrow in his home district of  Rukungiri, before going to neighbouring Kanungu and Kisoro districts.
In the first week of campaigns, Pastor Fred Mwesigye’s (Ind) campaigns will concentrate in Kampala, while Mr Willy Mayambala will be in Buikwe, Kayunga and Mukono districts today.

Pastor Joseph Kiiza Kabuleta (Ind) was allowed to go to Gulu and Kitgum districts on first day and later proceed to Agago and Pader.
Mr John Katumba will be in Luweero, Nakasongola and Masindi today. He will then head to Kiryandongo, Oyam and Nwoya districts tomorrow.
Last week, presidential candidates questioned why the EC had given them an electronic copy of the voters register without voters’ photos which Mr Bukenya yesterday said they were working within the Constitution as amended. 

Article 18(A) says: “The Commission shall transmit voters’ register to every political party and organisation taking part in an election an electronic copy of the voters register immediately after nomination day but before polling day and an updated paper copy of the register containing photographs of the voters to be used on polling day, two weeks before polling day.”