Additional reporting by Jonah Kirabo
Democratic Party presidential candidate Norbert Mao has said that for Bunyoro to be taken seriously, residents must vote for leaders who will push for the "Bunyoro agenda."
According to Mao, the "Bunyoro agenda" should focus on education, health services and oil.
Mao said that for long, Bunyoro has been urging government to give them a public university in their area and improve on the health care in the region, but all their demands have failed to materialise because of poor leadership.
"I don't even want to promise anything to Bunyoro, I just want the people of Bunyoro to elect members of Parliament who are serious, it’s that simple. Not these sleeping beauties that are there," Mao said.
Mao said that Bunyoro is taken for granted because it is always compared to Kiruhura on who gives more votes to President.
Mao's claim was however contested by Chairperson of the Bunyoro Parliamentary Caucus Stephen Mukitale, who told NBS that they are also trying their best.
"As members of Parliament, we are national leaders, we make a national budget and a national development plan. The government has a manifesto that looks at the whole country," Mukitale said.
Mao pledged to develop the Bunyoro region once voted into power, come 2021.
"As DP we believe that there should be a revenue sharing arrangement not handouts," Mao said.
Mukitale, however said that the area is better off with the NRM government.
According to Mukitale, pushing the Bunyoro Agenda forward calls for teaching locals to demand what belongs to them and also integrate the Bunyoro Question into the national agenda.
