NRM’s triumph in LC elections is the real people power – Museveni

President Museveni has downplayed Kyadondo East MP Robert Kyagulanyi also known as Bobi Wine’s people power slogan saying the real one was the ruling NRM’s triumph in the concluded village elections.

The LCI elections which were held in July saw the ruling NRM party triumph in 37,496 villages out of the 54,713 where polls were conducted representing 69 percent.

The ‘People Power, Our Power” is a slogan that was coined by Bobi Wine and has in the recent months gained more public traction and recognition after being responsible for triumph in the Kyadondo East, Bugiri Municipality elections and of recent Arua Municipality belections.

Many Members of Parliament have since associated themselves with the new wave.

However, responding to a question from a journalist on Saturday, Museveni laughed off Bobi Wine’s people power claims saying it is a fake one.

“These people (Bobi Wine) are not informed because people power was demonstrated recently in the LC one elections. What do they call that? Millions turned out in the 54,000 villages that voted and it was massive people’s power,”Museveni said at State House in Entebbe.

“I think that was real people power because many turned up and voted openly in flesh(lining) and not hiding in papers(ballots).If you are looking for people power you saw it but if you are waiting for it you will see it again(during the 2021 polls).”

Bobi Wine’s people power wave that aims at causing regime change in Uganda mostly led by youths had been spread to various parts of the country and was responsible for several protests last month after the arrest of Kyagulanyi and fellow MP Francis Zaake is various parts of the country.

According to some of the wave’s architects, they have no concrete structures but felt by everyone because they are spontaneous.

However, Museveni insisted that the real people power lays with the ruling NRM party considering a number of victories it has achieved in the past but said the media has not portrayed it well to the public.

“You the media are deceiving yourselves and am sorry for you. We have heard 35 by-elections since the 2016 elections and NRM has lost only four of these but the way you represent it in the papers, I wish you well.”

Museveni added, “I am not responsible for your spiritual affairs otherwise I would feel sorry for you.”