{UAH} Mbabazi storm in Kanungu, Bushenyi (Sunday Monitor)

Mbabazi rides political storm in Kanungu, Bushenyi

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Go Foward presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi waves to his supporters at Kizinda playground during his campaign rally in Bushenyi District on Friday. PHOTO BY COLLEB MUGUME.  

By  ALFRED TUMUSHABE & ISAAC IMAKA

Posted  Sunday, November 22  2015 at  02:00

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Bushenyi- Thursday was home-coming for Independent presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi. Pomp and excitement is what was expected in Kanungu but the opposite happened.

His reception was lukewarm in Kanungu Town Council, Kinkizi East, where he held his first rally.

That can be partly blamed on politics - for this was in a constituency for his political nemesis, Dr Chris Baryomunsi.

There was demobilisation by mainstream NRM cadres.
Some of Mr Mbabazi's posters were in the early morning hours plucked off buildings and poles and replaced with those of NRM candidate Yoweri Museveni.

Sabotage?
An omnibus covered with Mr Museveni's posters kept making the rounds in the town throughout the day. However, Mr Mbabazi's mobilisers and supporters did not at any point confront the occupants.

The choice of the venue was another undoing for Mr Mbabazi. Kanungu recreational ground at the district headquarters is too small to accommodate more than 300 people. The pitch was also flooded. Only a few people were able to get dry patches to stand or sit and listen.

Others followed the proceedings outside the pitch that is enclosed with a wire mesh. The chairman Kanungu Go Forward campaign team, Mr Jackson Mugasira, blamed the flooded pitch on "poor NRM leadership".

"We have been looking for a way out, thanks for leading us to the way (out)," he said as he welcomed Mr Mbabazi, who arrived at the venue at around 2.10pm.

Bishop Emeritus John Wilson Ntegeyereize of Kinkizi Diocese prayed for the function.

The bishop asked God to give Uganda peaceful elections, and thwart vote-rigging and the plans to declare "the last as the first."

The LCI chairperson did not show up, neither did the mayor, who were all scheduled to speak at the event. All the top political leaders in the district were conspicuously absent.

Kihiihi High School playground, in his constituency of Kinkizi West, where Mr Mbabazi held the last rally at 5pm, was overflowing with his supporters.

At the climax of the rally, Mr Mbabazi was given doves, which he successfully released into the air to the excitement of his followers.

On Friday, there were alleged attempts by security and NRM leaders in Bushenyi to sway boda boda cyclists from participating in Mr Mbabazi's procession.

More than 200 boda boda cyclists and taxi drivers, who were earlier contacted by Mr Mbabazi's mobilisers, were reportedly mobilised by NRM supporters and given a litre of fuel each at 2pm. They were then taken to Betiina Resort Hotel, where they feasted on rice and meat.