Forum for Democratic Change’s strong man Dr. Kiiza Besigye and President Museveni are back on the campaign trail on Monday as they canvassed for votes in Kagoma County by-election.
Dr. Besigye, the former FDC president who has challenged Museveni for the top seat in the last four elections, was joined by other opposition leaders to appeal to the voters to send Kagoma county MP seat aspirant, Timothy Lusala Batuwa, the FDC party flag’s bearer to parliament.
The Kagoma MP seat fell vacant in March after Court presided over by three Justices; Fredrick Engonda -Ntende, Paul Mugamba and Alfonse Owiny-Dollo annulled the election of NRM’s Moses walyomu Muwanika over voter bribery after his opponent Alex Brandon Kintu brought satisfactory evidence that on January 3rd, 2016, Walyomu bribed a community of voters with 500, 000 shillings through the leaders of Mawoito mosque. Muhammad Bizimack Bidondole (independent) is the other candidate besides Batuwa, Muwanika and Alex Brandon Kintu that was nominated on last Tuesday at Kagoma County Headquarters.
Dr. Besigye asked people to vote for Mr. Batuwa as part of long-term strategy to defeat the National Resistance Movement regime.
As the election day approaches on Thursday (to be held on Thursday May 11th), FDC supporters intercepted Besigye and Batuwa at Kimaka Road in Jinja Municipality where they held his first rally before proceeding to at Kivubuka.
Meanwhile, Batuwa’s supporters are alleging that while Besigye is moving village to village looking for votes, NRM buses are transporting voters to attend President Museveni’s rally in Buyengo and those buses were found on the road to Buyala trading centre looking for people.
The presence of both Besigye and Museveni, however, is most likely to bring excitement and tension in Buyengo town might force police to block some of the roads like was the case in Kamuli Municipality by-election where Museveni was footing for the eventual winner Rehema Watongola against FDC’s Proscovia Salaamu Musumba.
