Lumumba:  Why Museveni opted for small meetings instead of mass campaigns

The NRM Secretary General, Justine Kasule Lumumba has said the presidential aspirant for the ruling party, Yoweri Museveni had to lead by example by opting for small groups of people other than big campaign rallies.

Whereas all candidates were asked to have only 200 supporters, almost all the opposition presidential candidates have had big gatherings more than the stipulated number.

However, speaking to Nile Post on Thursday in Arua, Lumumba said they could not take the wrong path as exhibited by their opponents and noted they had to do things differently for the safety of their supporters and country at large.

“We have been offering leadership before Covid-19 set in. We have to continue offering leadership even after Covid-19 came. We are the leading party and must set the best example in the country. We have not held rallies because we have the responsibility of protecting Ugandans and their property,” Lumumba said on Thursday in Arua.

Lumumba insisted that NRM has the numbers required for them to win the polls, without necessarily organizing mass rallies as other parties as candidates are doing.

“We have had rallies where we have brought together one million people at Kololo and thousands of people in the different Boma grounds around the country. We have done that but now, the challenge is to show Ugandans you can lead them even during the Coronavirus pandemic.”

She however expressed concern over other political parties and presidential candidates that she said have not heeded to the Electoral Commission and Ministry of Health guidelines in regards to processions and mass rallies during the ongoing campaign program.

“It is police to enforce these guidelines but in many cases they have not ensured this. They have let us down.”

Plan B

According to the ruling NRM party Secretary General, they will canvass votes in another way by going to the grassroots.

“We shall go to the voter by moving person to person, house to house. We have structures of 30 people per village. These must deliver victory.”

She noted that if every village leader talks to at least four people per village, they would deliver the required victory for the ruling party.