Crowds shouldn’t dupe you, Museveni is still strong-  Matayo Kyaligonza warns

Uganda’s Ambassador to Burundi, Maj. Gen. Matayo Kyaligonza has warned the opposition against underestimating   President Yoweri Museveni’s strength.

Speaking on the sidelines of the NRM presidential candidate’s scientific meeting at Duhaga Primary School in Hoima City on Saturday, Kyaligonza insisted that the crowds enjoyed by opposition candidates during their campaigns are not a guarantee to their wide support as many think.

“How do you gauge the weakest and strongest? It is not a question of the crowd being pulled around. For instance, he(Museveni) addressed 200 people at his campaign meetings but it only because we are following Ministry of Health guidelines on Covid-19. It is not because of weaknesses or being unpopular,”Kyaligonza said.

“We are just law-abiding and following medical advice. “

When asked to comment on the rising number of his bush war comrades coming up to stand against their former commander, President Yoweri Museveni, Kyaligonza insisted that it is what they fought for in the bush for everyone to have freedom to do whatever pleases them.

He insisted that he sees nothing wrong in former NRA bush war fighters standing against Museveni.

“Competition is an issue. These people are strugglists who went to the bush because they were opposed to certain factors. If they are not satisfied with the current leadership, they are expressing themselves but people(voters) might tell them to wait until the right time for them comes,” he said.

“Even in schools, we have got a  head prefect, monitor and class teacher. Now there is a class teacher and you are a head prefect. Since you were an army commander( Maj.Gen.Mugisha Muntu) or medical doctor (Dr.Kizza Besigye) in the bush or political commissar(Lt.Gen.Henry Tumukunde) of the struggle, we all admire you and you are free to express   yourself and people will decide.”

Bunyoro demands

The leaders from all the districts that make up Bunyoro sub-region asked Museveni to look into the issue of compensation of tobacco farmers who were not paid by firms that used to buy their produce.

They also asked the President to look into the issue of Bunyoro University and floods that hit Lake Albert displacing many people.

Speaking in response to the demands, Museveni said the issue of compensation is being worked upon by the Ministry of Finance and that soon the farmers will have their money.

On the issue of  Bunyoro university, Museveni noted that plans for the construction are underway but indicated that the Uganda Petroleum Institute in Kigumba will be turned into a public university in Bunyoro.

Floods

On the issue of floods, Museveni said he had earlier been informed of the catastrophe and that he had flown his chopper to inspect the extent of the damage.

“I have asked the Prime Minister to respond to the floods and he is coming. However, the issue of floods is because of God. Sometimes we need to wait for God’s wrath to calm down. We are going to relocate all those affected to another area,”Museveni said.

The President however noted that during his inspection, he found out that the areas affected were flatlands and noted that it would be wise that those areas are never inhabited again that in case the floods return, they don’t find any person.

“You can leave it as it as a wetland so that when floods return, they don’t affect anyone. But rather find a wetland. We shall get money to support and resettle those affected somewhere but this is what we have always told people,”Museveni said.

“This is what happened in Mt.Elgon and you need to be careful with some leaders. We warned the people to leave the slopes and they refused. One night, the landslides came and it was now them calling us to relocate them,” he said.

The President was informed that due to the rising water levels,  in Kiryandongo the ferry at Masindi Port to Apac has for the last four months not been operating and that the same happens at Wanseko.

He was also informed that this was the same story as River Kafu is also flooding and a lot of fields have been taken over by water.

In response, Museveni

said he would talk to experts from  the Ministry of Works to see what do with the ferry, whose services are affected by the floods.

On the issue of land grabbing, Museveni said the solution is cancelling all titles owned by land grabbers.