As presidential campaigns progress into the second month, it has been reported that most presidential candidates are registering less turn up of people especially during their campaign meetings in upcountry areas.
According to reports, this was evident last week when candidates started traversing for votes in rural areas of the various regions in the country where some of them didn’t even show up as per the campaign schedule.
The law enforcement body on Monday revealed that this development has, however, enabled them to easily police and manage the security and safety of the candidates and their supporters.
The limited numbers of people that turn up for the campaign meetings is partly attributed to the less popularity of the candidates in the remote and rural areas of the country.
Addressing the press in Kampala on Monday, police spokesperson CP Fred Enanga issued an update of all candidates and how they were received in various parts of the country including the estimated number of people that turned up for the meetings and rallies.
The NRM candidate who is also the incumbent, President Yoweri Museveni campaigned in Tororo but in order to manage the number of participants in his meetings, his team readjusted and reconvened in Mbale District where he held a series of meetings with the regional delegates of Bukedi North and South as well as the youth district representatives from the two regions.
FDC candidate Eng. Patrick Amuriat Oboi had his rallies in Mitooma, Bushenyi, and Sheema districts. Police reported that he managed to hold rallies in Isingiro at Ruhinda trading center, Kabuyanda Town council, and other trading centers.
However, what was noticed with campaigns of FDC is that in some of these venues, they did not have delegates therefore they decided to make stop overs in trading centers where they could address a few people and then move to other areas.
The report also indicated that independent candidate Rtd Lt. Gen. Henry Tumukunde had his campaigns successfully policed without any challenges in Northern Uganda that is in Agago district where he accessed the place through Parombo trading center.
“He didn’t have large followings so he went waving to people along Parombo trading center and in the road sides in Agago town. He then he proceeded to Parombo old market where he had a brief interaction of about ten minutes with market vendors and left for Padel and Omoro districts,” said police.
“In Omoro district, Gen. Tumukunde had a convoy of about 30 motorcycles who were hooting and escorting him around Larobi, Opit and Paronga trading centers,” the report further indicates.
Nancy Kalembe, also an independent and female candidate in the presidential race, had her campaigns in Oyam, Lira Alebtong, Amolata and Dokolo districts. She organized a venue at Lero road where she had a turn up of about 50 people and then proceeded to Lira and Oyam.
She also managed to cover the Lango sub region, however, the report indicates that the turn up that she had in these places was not good.
Meanwhile, John Katumba camped in mid-western Uganda that is; Kamwenge district where he arrived late at the prescribed venue- Kamwenge secondary school and he proceeded to Kasese.
He had a very small gathering at Kilembe quarters and left for Fort Portal.
This is, according to the report, where police had a problem with him after he parked at the roundabout of Fort Portal-Kasese and wanted to address the people in the middle of the road. Officers intervened and instructed him to find an alternative venue which he complied to and left for Ibanda.
Other independent candidates that is; Pastor Fred Mwesigye and former sports pundit Joseph Kabuleeta had scheduled campaign meetings but didn’t turn up.
“Pastor Mwesigye was supposed to be in Kagadi but didn’t turn up, he also did not appear in Hoima, Masindi and was also not sighted in Kiryandongo district,” said police.
Likewise, Joseph Kabuleeta was supposed to campaign in Nakaseke and Luwero but never surfaced there.
Democratic Party’s Nobert Mao was in Luuka, Buyende and Kamuli district and his campaigns were successfully policed. In his activities, he also held a rally with few people in Luuka at Kiyunga town council.
He arrived in Kamuli late and decided to go to the taxi park where he addressed a few people.
Police said it had a small scuffle when Mao wanted to campaign past 6pm which is the time limit and eventually led him to Jinja. He had a planned meeting in Buyende, however, he didn’t turn up.
Maj. Gen. Mugisha Muntu, according to police, tried to pull some regulated crowds when he visited Omoro District where he gathered about 150 people at Palenga trading center for about 30 minutes and proceeded to Opit Trading Center where he got another 200 people and addressed them.
NUP’s Robert Kyagulanyi held successful campaign meetings although challenges IN observing SOPs were high. In his rallies, he addressed more than five hundred people.
Police pointed out that they generally had a few challenges along policing activities but they usually have very good and harmonized arrangements with campaign agents of different candidates.
