{UAH} Allan/Pojim/WBK:Hurdles Besigye faces in attempt to woo northern Uganda in 2016 - People & Power

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Hurdles Besigye faces in attempt to woo northern Uganda in 2016

Dr Besigye campaigns in northern Uganda. File photo 

FDC presidential candidate Kizza Besigye arrived in northern Uganda for the first leg of his campaigns in the sub-region with the full knowledge that the tide had shifted against him in a place that overwhelmingly backed his first two shots at the presidency.

The results of his third attempt in 2011, whose credibility Dr Besigye has questioned, is the best example of that shift after Besigye lost to President Museveni in the sub-region. Mr Museveni got 55.3 per cent of the vote while Dr Besigye garnered 22.6 per cent.

With Uganda Peoples Congress' Olara Otunnu and Democratic Party's Norbert Mao firmly behind Amama Mbabazi and another UPC strong man, Lira Municipality Jimmy Akena, said to be in talks with President Museveni, Dr Besigye has even more work to do to garner support in the region in the February 2016 election.

In 2011, the duo (Mao and Otunnu) were competing in the same race with the FDC flag bearer and had an impact on his performance in Acholi sub-region.

For instance, in Kitgum, one of the districts Dr Besigye toured recently, Otunnu garnered 35 per cent against Dr Besigye's 15 per cent. Mr Mao took Gulu with 42 per cent against Dr Besigye's 20 per cent.

This performance was a far cry from that of 2006 where Dr Besigye overwhelmingly defeated the incumbent in the same districts when the duo was not in the race. He scored 75 and 82 per cent respectively in Kitgum and Gulu. It remains to be seen what impact they will have on the region and in whose favour of Mr Mbabazi, Dr Besigye or Mr Museveni will it be.

The message
Aware of this, Dr Besigye, who attracted crowds in both villages and towns throughout his campaign in the region, themed his message on people not losing hope in change.

"I asked for your support before and you gave it to me. I know some of you were losing hope, saying maybe change is not possible. But I can now confidently assure you change is coming; because the entire nation is yearning for change," Besigye told his supporters in Agago District.

Dr Besigye said the people in northern Uganda had for long been a symbol of resistance against the 30-year NRM rule and giving that up when other parts of the country had joined them would be to betray their cause.

Using an analogy of a big tree whose roots have been uprooted and now awaits a final push, Dr Besigye said President Museveni, who has been defeated and awaits a final push out of power, is seeking refuge in a region which he had abandoned for long to endure the effects of the two-decade Lord's Resistance Army insurgency.

However, from political appointments to infrastructure and livelihood programmes, President Museveni and by extension the NRM government, have been making efforts to stamp their foot in the region.

For example, government with the support of the donor community has been implementing post-war recovery programmes in the region. Government has since launched programmes such as the Northern Uganda Agricultural Livelihoods Recovery Programme and lately the Operation Wealth Creation. 
In their report, the European Union Election Observation Mission noted that "most NRM candidates use government projects such as the National Agricultural Advisory Services (Naads) and the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (Nusaf) as tools to press voters to adhere to the NRM should they wish to benefit from such projects".

Post-war 
In 2006, the war was still ripe in the north and this seemed to have played in Dr Besigye's favour, hence helping him register his most significant performance. But with the war over, another hurdle is in the way.

To those still seeking answers about the war, Dr Besigye, who visited a number of memorial centres, promised that his government would facilitate accountability and reconciliation.

"This (war) is a subtle reminder of the mismanagement of our country over the last 30 years. After this episode of the NRM comes to an end, we must review what happened in this period. It is our plan that there must be truth telling and reconciliation, but with accountability," he said in Agago.

Still on the post-war northern Uganda, Dr Besigye spoke about poverty, the unemployment levels, poor service delivery, especially in the health and education sectors, and lack of markets for the produce.

He was also prompted by residents to speak about land grabbing, to which he said was not unique to the sub-region.

Disgruntled members
While the two FDC principles – party president Mugisha Muntu and flag bearer Besigye – seem to have moved on following the election in which Dr Besigye defeated Gen Muntu by a landslide for the party flag, some of their supporters seem not to have.

As he toured the region, some of the representatives were absent. Whereas some MPs were said to be on official duty outside Uganda, Aruu County MP Samuel Odonga Otto decided not to turn up despite being in the area.

Although Otto backed Besigye during the party elections, the two are said to have disagreed.

After unsuccessful attempts to clinch the FDC ticket for Kitgum Municipality, Kitgum Woman MP Beatrice Anywar is said to have mobilised against Dr Besigye in the district in futility.
She then made a show at Dr Besigye's rally in the municipality grounds but had to fight her way to the podium. It took Besigye's intervention for her to be allowed to speak amid protests from some supporter.

Ms Anywar, who had backed Gen Muntu in the flag bearer race, nominated former prime minister Amama Mbabazi for president, defying the party position to back Dr Besigye.

Promises to northern Uganda

• Special priority to the region to catch up with the rest of the country that didn't experience the LRA war
• Holding accountable those who committed atrocities during the war
• Ending corruption and wastage of resources in government so that money flows back to serve the people
• Revamp the agricultural sector (agricultural bank, irrigation, return and strengthen producer cooperatives)
• Establish a locally driven industrial sector
• Address the issue of land grabbing
• Reduce the size of Cabinet to 21 ministers
• Reduce size of Parliament to 150 MPs
• Invest in education to make it strong again (primary teachers Shs650,000 and secondary teachers Shs1m, computers to secondary school students and provide other requirements).

• Abolish Resident District Commissioners

Hurdles Besigye faces in attempt to woo northern Uganda in 2016 - People & Power

http://www.monitor.co.ug/Magazines/PeoplePower/Hurdles-Besigye-faces-in-attempt-to-woo-northern/-/689844/3010584/-/wsvpaf/-/index.html

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