BY REMMY BAHATI
With less than 30 days to the UNAA election, the ruling NRM has joined the rest of the diaspora leaders in calling for peace and unity among party supporters who are sharply divided over the election.
In a telephone Interview, Richard Todwong the NRM Secretary General said there is need to overcome discord, bullying, division and anger that has marked the campaigns for UNAA posts in favour of greater tolerance and respect across the political divide.
“I call upon all of our supporters in North America to unite. They should stop disagreeing amongst themselves, we should focus on the election and make sure that we win, the rest of the internal contradiction, we shall handle as a team,” said Todwong.
He said the party has not sent any money for mobilisation as some people had claimed.
Buyaga West MP Hon. Barnabas Tinkasimire, a member of the ruling party called upon the NRM local mobilisers in the diaspora to calm down.
“We are appealing to our citizens and country men who are in North America and going to participate in UNAA politics particularly the NRM mobilisers like Ronnie Lwanga and Timothy Nyonjo that as you mobilise… try to calm down and mobilise people on issues,” said Tinkasimire in a phone Interview.
The calls for unity come at a time when UNAA members are sharply divided over a $50,000 government grant (approximately 176M Uganda shillings) meant for community development.
The money was returned to the consolidated fund in Kampala after the UNAA leadership failed to generate the list required by the embassy for the money to be released due to the internal wrangles and bickering.
Earlier, UNAA vice president Lydia Natoolo accused the president, Henrietta Wamala of frustrating her efforts to distribute the community funds.
But Wamala countered that it is Natoolo who failed at her job.
“We kept reminding the Vice President to do her job and give the money to the communities [which she did not]….,” Wamala said in a statement released by to a local forum.
According to the UNAA President, an investigation is underway by the board of trustees to determine if this was pure negligence of duty or a deliberate move not to give these funds to the communities.
Since the start of the campaigns, UNAA members have been advocating for free and fair elections.
“Let us counter the downward spiral with renewed efforts to respect dignity of each of our neighbours,” said a one UNAA member who preferred anonymity.
