President Museveni at Atabu Primary School in Dokolo District. The NRM’s party Chairperson was in the area to campaign for his candidate ahead of the By-elections in Dokolo. Photos by Sharon Akello
By Sharon Akello
Dokolo: President Yoweri Museveni has advised the electorate in Dokolo District to focus on voting for leaders ready to serve their interests regardless of their political affiliations.
While campaigning for the NRM flag bearer, Janet Adong Elau, at Atabu Primary School in Dokolo district, Museveni said NRM government came as a force for dealing with people’s needs such as food, housing, poverty, peace, roads, and education.
“You are the owners of the country, the Ugandans are the owners of Uganda. These leaders you are electing are the leaders to work for you to solve your problems,” Museveni told the voters.
Museveni stressed to the voters to look at all the political parties coming to them to ask for votes and what plans they have for Uganda.
He said the NRM’s agenda is already clear, as evidenced by what they did in “making this patient called Uganda stand up.”
According to Museveni, only the NRM party that can serve Ugandans, because it made available commodities that Ugandans didn’t have such as; sugar, soap, and textiles.
“Now all the shops are full,” he said.
Museveni also emphasized the to need to check other health issues, saying some health workers are stealing drugs causing shortages in the health facilities.
He vowed that the NRM party would ensure that such culprits are brought to book.
Museveni, however, boasted that despite the challenges within the health facilities, the country has eliminated some communicable diseases such as polio through vaccination.
“Can you show [me] somebody with polio? Now you can count 13 diseases which can be eliminated by vaccination,” he added.
Richard Todwong, the NRM Secretary General, appealed to party members to vote for the party flag bearer, Janet Adong Elau.
Todwong advised on the need for unity and love within the party to achieve victory.
“We are seeing the flag of the party and that is where our victory is. And that’s the reason why some of our sisters who were NRM leaning and contested under the independent ticket have decided to step down,” Todwong said.
Geoffrey Okwara, the Local Council One chairperson of Atabu village, Bata Sub-county in Dokolo District commended President Museveni for his good leadership that has transformed both the rural and urban communities.
Okwara cited that years back, people could take long to travel because of poor road networks and traveled across many five sub-counties, to get government facilities like schools.
“…but lately both government schools and private schools have been established everywhere,” Okwara said.
Police prepared ahead of the by-elections
Jimmy Patrick Okema, the North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson, said the candidates told the candidates to have to correspond with the returning officer at the Electoral Commission so that they don’t default on the guidelines before the election date.
Okema revealed that the Regional Police Commander has already designed operational orders to be implemented by the police during the voting.
“When we implement our operational orders the way we have planned them, we see no problem coming in,” Okema said.
Okema clarified that the police will serve to protect all the candidates.
“Our security is offered to everybody therefore everyone should be well assured that our presence as security is there to serve the interest of all the candidates,” he added.
Dokolo District Police Commander, Patience Baganzi, said police will set up a political desk and an incident room manned by different officers to handle all reports related to the voting.
“Because there is that evidence that we need to pick up there and then. So you have to report earlier such that we intervene as soon as possible,” Baganzi said.
Six remain in the race
The Electoral Commission nominated seven candidates to replace the late Cecilia Atim Ogwal in the Dokolo District woman Member of Parliament by-elections.
However, one of them, identified as Dr. Hanna Grace Lalam stepped down in favor of NRM’s flag bearer, Janet Adongo Elau.
The Dokolo by-election campaign commenced on the 13th and ended on the 19th of March. Elections shall be held on the 21st of the same month.
The District has 484 villages and 71 parishes with 175 polling stations where the voting exercise will take place.
