By KT Reporter
Drama unfolded at President Yoweri Museveni’s campaign rally in Kalungu District on Friday after supporters heckled the National Resistance Movement (NRM) party candidate presented to them.
President Museveni, who is also the NRM presidential candidate, was addressing a campaign rally at the former Air Force grounds in Lukaya Town Council. During the event, he ceremoniously handed party flags to the NRM parliamentary and local government candidates as a symbol of endorsement.
However, the rally turned controversial when hundreds of party supporters openly heckled Hellen Nakeeya, the NRM candidate for the Kalungu District Woman Member of Parliament seat.
The chaos erupted shortly after President Museveni handed over flags to the candidates, prompting a section of supporters to shout in disapproval of Nakeeya’s candidature.
Other candidates endorsed at the rally included former Minister of Defence Vincent Ssempijja for Kalungu East, Twaha Ssonko Kiganda for Kalungu West, and Richard Kyabaggu for the LCV seat.
The charged supporters, who were seated in different tents, demanded that President Museveni instead endorse Aisha Ssekindi, the incumbent Woman MP and State Minister for Water, who had earlier boycotted the party primaries.
Supporters attempted to drag Ssekindi onto the stage where candidates were taking photographs with the President, but security personnel intervened and restrained them.
The shouting intensified as President Museveni returned to his vehicle, with some supporters attempting to grab flags from Nakeeya and other flag bearers, resulting in chaos at the venue.
Stephen Mugerwa, an NRM supporter from Lukaya Town Council who attended the rally, criticised the organisers for sidelining Ssekindi, including denying her a front seat at the event.
He argued that the party primaries were marred by gross irregularities, including manipulation of the voters’ register and intimidation, which compelled some candidates and supporters to boycott the exercise.
Mugerwa said supporters had come to the rally to express their disappointment to President Museveni over what he described as the selfish conduct of the district party chairperson. He added that when they were denied the opportunity to raise their concerns, they resorted to rejecting Nakeeya’s candidature.
Zainabu Bukirwa, another NRM supporter at the rally, blamed Twaha Ssonko Kiganda, the Kalungu District NRM chairperson, for failing to manage internal party contradictions that led to Ssekindi’s withdrawal from the primaries.
She said the events at the rally clearly demonstrated that the party is deeply divided in the area and appealed to President Museveni to institute thorough investigations into the underlying disputes.
Benon Ssejjengo, the NRM mobilisation secretary for Lukaya Town Council, said the party’s Woman MP flag bearer is unpopular among some supporters because she is perceived as alien to the area.
He attributed the supporters’ conduct to the failure of party leaders to ensure integrity in the primary election process.
“We cautioned the district party chairperson against contesting for the parliamentary seat so that he could remain neutral and address such contradictions, but he declined. We are now suffering the consequences of his wrong decision,” Ssejjengo said.
Despite the incidents, Nakeeya,. said she would not be distracted by what she described as pre-arranged misconduct by her opponents aimed at undermining her before the President.
She said her campaign team and party structures fully support her candidature and expressed confidence in winning the elections scheduled for January next year.
Kalungu District NRM chairperson, Hajj Twaha Ssonko Kiganda, declined to comment on the incident, saying he needed time to study what transpired.
Aisha Ssekindi, the incumbent Woman MP, distanced herself from the chaos, stating that despite being sidelined, she attended the rally solely to receive the President and demonstrate her loyalty to him.
Asked why she boycotted the party primaries, Ssekindi said she raised her reservations with the NRM Secretariat, but when they were not addressed, she opted not to subject herself and her supporters to what she termed a sham exercise.
Earlier in his address, President Museveni cautioned residents of Kalungu District against voting for the opposition, accusing them of failing to deliver for the area and of not reminding him about pending government projects.
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